New York: Americans paid a mostly low-key tribute to those who died serving in the U.S. Armed Forces on Monday, with many Memorial Day events canceled due to the coronavirus outbreak that has killed nearly 100,000 people in the United States alone.
In some places, scaled-down ceremonies were broadcast over the internet. But the virus overshadowed the national holiday, which is normally a time of flag-waving parades and events to commemorate fallen soldiers.
In Fort Walton Beach, Florida, a small group of veterans in uniform gathered in Beal Memorial Cemetery to recite the names of the dead and weave flowers into a wreath in a ceremony that was streamed online. Some of the attendees shook hands with each other and few, if any, wore the face masks that have been recommended as a key measure to stop the spread of the virus.
“Instead of parades or large memorial events, we can remember the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in a more private way,” Colonel John Sannes, the commander of the U.S. Army’s 7th Special Forces Group, told the gathering.
Inside the rotunda of the Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln, a candle was lit and veterans took turns, two at a time, to silently stand sentry on either side of a wreath over the course of a 12-hour livestreamed ceremony.
In New York City, organizers of a usually large parade on Staten Island instead arranged to have a smaller convoy of vehicles drive the route.
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