A time to recognize, dedicate, and pay our respects as a community.

Memorial Week returned to The War Memorial with renewed vigor and significance. This year, we again celebrated our community with three distinct and memorable events.

Commencing on May 21st, our illustrious series kicked off with our highly anticipated annual fundraising gala, An Evening of Red, White, & Blue, featuring live music and dinner, plus fantastic new experiences. May 22nd saw the return of a community favorite, Our Community Salutes. This event has traditionally been held in high regard as we wish a new crop of military recruits well on their next endeavor heading into the armed forces.

Concluding our Memorial Week events was our Memorial Day Service, when we solemnly gather for a poignant moment of remembrance for the courageous souls who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our cherished freedoms.

An Evening of Red, White & Blue

Wednesday, May 21
This year’s gala promised a delightful evening filled with live music, delectable cuisine, and exciting activities - and it delivered exactly that! Guests were treated to a lively cocktail hour, a raffle featuring trips from around America, a wine-pull, a rousing auction and paddle raise, and one of the finest meals you could ask for! One special piece of the evening was our Delight in the Details cards which featured images of the intricate details found throughout the Alger house. The evening saw over $235,000 raised to help restore this historic house.

Our Community Salutes

Thursday, May 22
We were ecstatic at the opportunity to bring back Our Community Salutes! This longstanding enlistee recognition ceremony is designed to celebrate high school seniors enlistment into the United States Military. We hosted 10 enlistees representing 5 branches of the military including the US Airforce, Army National Guard, US Navy, and the US Marine Corps. Reserve. This event was livestreamed on both our Youtube channel and Facebook page. The replay of the event in its entirety is below. Learn more about our veteran programs on our Patriotic Page.

Memorial Day Service

Monday, May 26
This annual ceremony takes place on the lakefront lawn of The War Memorial, in the shadow of the Les Braves II sculpture, as we honor and remember those who have given the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. This year’s ceremony was lead by our Master of Ceremonies, Jim Semerad, CDR, USN (Ret.), with remarks from Senator Kevin Hertel, and a keynote speech from Lt. Col. Stephen Klenke, the 127th Civil Engineer Squadron Base Civil Engineer of Selfride ANG Base. The ceremony included our traditional reading of the names of the over 150 Gold Star Honor Roll members from the Grosse Pointes beginning with WWII. You can view the full ceremony below.