The day begins with the New Prague Veterans Honor Guard visiting area cemeteries where the names of veterans buried at those cemeteries will be read.
The visits begin at St. Patrick Cemetery at 9 a.m. then St. Benedict Cemetery 9:25 a.m., Lanesburgh Cemetery 9:45 a.m., Union Hill Cemetery 10:10 a.m., Czech National Cemetery 10:30 a.m. and St. Wenceslaus Cemetery 10:50 a.m.
St. Thomas Church near Le Sueur will be holding a Memorial Day Mass at 9 a.m. with a blessing of the graves after the Mass.
New Prague’s Memorial Day Parade will start between 11:30-11:45 a.m. with participants gathering at New Prague City Hall’s parking lot, 118 Central Ave. N. The parade will start along Central Avenue N and head south to Main Street, turn east onto Main Street and proceed to the New Prague Veterans Memorial. Participants are the New Prague Veterans Honor Guard, the New Prague area Boy and Girl Scouts and the Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus.
The ceremony at the veterans memorial will include a welcome from American Legion Post 45 Commander Chad Lukkes, with the New Prague High School band playing the national anthem and American Legion Post 45 Chaplin George Tupy leading an invocation. New Prague’s interim Mayor Chuck Nickolay will give the greeting followed by guest speaker Tikalsky. The high school band will perform “Military Hymn Medleys.” A reading of the names of deceased veterans will be read by Tupy and past VFW Commander Nick Slavik. A laying of a wreath for Navy Capt. Lesley J. Fierst and U.s. Army Col. Jacob Helgestad will be done. A rifle salute and the playing of taps by Steve Skluzacek will follow.