Vincent Lavalle began Port St. Lucie’s virtual Memorial Day service with a moving introduction. Just after 10 a.m., the retired United States Air Force…
Vincent Lavalle began Port St. Lucie’s virtual Memorial Day service with a moving introduction.
Just after 10 a.m., the retired United States Air Force veteran stood behind a podium with an American flag to his right. Behind him, a digital image of Veterans Memorial Park was on display from a day far sunnier and drier than Monday.
« Memorial Day is a chance to reconnect to the genesis of our nation’s innumerous freedoms, » Lavalle said during the digital address. « Our way of life has been shaped and made possible by those who have served, and by those who were lost, and who we remember today. »
Up and down the Treasure Coast, Memorial Day events to honor fallen wartime heroes were canceled or transitioned to a virtual platform in the wake of both heavy regional rainfall and the novel coronavirus pandemic.
While some events like Port St. Lucie’s virtual service were already scheduled as an online event to help reduce the spread of COVID-19, others outdoor events were forced to cancel as rain swept through the coast.
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Over five inches of rain were predicted in all three counties on the Treasure Coast by the National Weather Service in Melbourne early Monday morning. Some areas could even see between eight and 10 inches through Tuesday morning, according to meteorologist Cassie Leahy.
« Enjoy the Memorial Day, but be safe as heavy rain spreads into the area, » the group posted to their Twitter page just before 6 a.m.
Despite the weather, Julie Biron, her mother, Sandra Rick, and Todd Biron, all of Vero Beach, placed flags at the memorials of Veterans Memorial Island Sanctuary in Indian River County.
