ELKINS — H.W. Daniels American Legion Post 29 will host its annual Memorial Day Ceremony at the All-Veterans Memorial on Monday.

“Memorial Day is an opportunity to be able to recognize those who are not able to be with us because they paid the ultimate sacrifice,” said Elkins American Legion District Chairman Donnie Lambert. “We have Veterans Day and Armed Forces Day for those who are still serving or have served, but I don’t think enough is given to those who gave it all.”

The event will begin at 11 a.m. and will feature three-time West Virginia American Legion Oratorical Champion Juliann Harlan, City of Elkins Mayor Jerry Marco and other guests are expected to take part in the ceremony.

The ceremony, which will also feature the laying of wreaths and other tributes, will cap off the traditional three-day federal holiday that marks the unofficial start of summer. Memorial Day is always commemorated on the last Monday of May and was created as a day to remember and honor the men and women who died while serving in the United States military.

Memorial Day became an official federal holiday in 1971 and was originally known as Decoration Day, which started during the American Civil War when citizens placed flowers on the graves of those who had been killed in battle.

Before Monday’s Ceremony, members of the H.W. Daniels American Legion and other volunteers will be placing American Flags on graves at the Little Arlington Cemetery on Saturday.

“We will be putting close to 1,200 flags in the graves at Little Arlington Cemetery to honor those who are out there,” Lambert said. “We will have the Boy Scouts, the Legion Riders and other volunteers helping us put those flags out.”

Lambert said that the American Legion would be putting flags out on several streets in downtown Elkins to help celebrate the holiday and also mentioned the possibility of a Memorial Day parade in the future.

Due to Memorial Day being a federal holiday, many banks, post offices and businesses will be closed on Monday when the official National Memorial Day Observance takes place at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. The National Memorial Day Parade will take place in Washington, D.C., on the same day and will be televised nationwide.