RIVETS Memorial Day Photo Release

Published on Wednesday, May 31, 2023

**PHOTO RELEASE**

On Memorial Day, Thousands Visit

Rhode Island Veterans Memorial Cemetery

Exeter, R.I. – In solemn observance of Memorial Day, Rhode Islanders and visitors from across the country came to the Rhode Island Veterans Memorial Cemetery (RIVMC) to honor and remember those service members who gave their lives in defense of our nation and our freedoms.

The state’s 49^th Annual Memorial Day Ceremony took place at 1 p.m. at RIVMC, where Rhode Island’s congressional delegation and general officers joined in honoring service members, Veterans and their families, paying tribute to those who died in the line of duty, and remembering their families who carry on the memory of those we have lost. The Rhode Island National Guard (RING) 88^th Army Band provided musical entertainment, and the RING Rifle Squad fired volleys. The featured speaker was Elizabeth Cote, Rhode Island’s Voice of Democracy essay winner; she read her essay on “Why is the Veteran Important?” during the ceremony. Ms. Cote is a high school junior and daughter of a 28-year Army Veteran. Memorial wreaths were laid at the Gold Star Family Memorial, one of the newly dedicated memorials at RIVMC.

md1 — The Rhode Island National Guard Color Guard salute the Colors during the singing of the National Anthem.

md2 — The Adjutant General of the Rhode Island National Guard, Major General Christopher Callahan, joins Lt. Governor Sabina Matos, RIVETS Director Kasim Yarn, and members of Rhode Island Gold Star Families, while laying wreathes at the Gold Star Family Memoria

md4 — The Adjutant General of the Rhode Island National Guard, Major General Christopher Callahan, joins Lt. Governor Sabina Matos, RIVETS Director Kasim Yarn, and members of Rhode Island Gold Star Families, while laying wreathes at the Gold Star Family Memoria