Key West’s active-duty military, veterans organizations and their supporters coordinated three Memorial Day events to honor the fallen on May 31.
The USS Maine Memorial at the city cemetery hosted its annual commemoration, with remarks by Capt. Mark Sohaney, commander of Naval Air Station Key West. The crowds went from the cemetery to the Veterans Memorial Garden at Bayview Park for the unveiling of a memorial honoring the Montford Point Marines, who were the first African Americans admitted to the U.S. Marine Corps. The plaque explains their service, and honors 13 Key Westers who served among them. Finally, American flags filled Southern Keys Cemetery on Big Coppitt Key, where another Memorial Day remembrance takes place each year.
