Memorial Day - 2026

The Van Alstyne American Legion James Adams Post 376 will be hosting a Memorial Day Service on Monday, May 25th, at 9 A.M.  The guest speaker is retired Brigadier General Mike Wallace.  General Wallace was the Assistant Division Commander of the Texas Army National Guard, 36th Infantry Division.  There will be a fly over, and the Boy Scouts will raise the Colors.

The address is 293 Jay Road, Van Alstyne. We expect a large crowd so please come early.

• Americans celebrate Memorial Day to honor U.S. military members who have died in combat.

• The holiday was originally called Decoration Day because people would decorate the gravesites of fallen soldiers with flowers, American flags, or other tributes.

• A tradition since the 1860s, Memorial Day only became a federal holiday in 1971.

• Whereas Memorial Day commemorates deceased U.S. soldiers, Veterans Day honors all former members of the military with an emphasis on living veterans.

• Cities and towns across the United States host Memorial Day parades each year.

• Americans also observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries and memorials. Some people wear a red poppy in remembrance of those fallen in war—a tradition that began with a World War I poem.