The City of Carmel will host the annual Memorial Day ceremony on May 24, the Friday before Memorial Day weekend, at the Veterans Memorial Plaza. Starting at 9 a.m., the ceremony will feature a flag raising by American Legion Post 155 and Veteran of Foreign Wars Post 10003. Additionally, Mayor Sue Finkam and a keynote speaker will be present. In the past, bands and choirs have also performed at the event.

To senior Jatin Gourishetty, Memorial Day holds great importance to him personally. Gourishetty, who plans to join the United States Special Forces after high school, said his future plans have given him a much deeper understanding of the holiday.

“Memorial Day is a day to recognize those who lost their lives fighting for our country. Going into Special Forces, it has opened my eyes to the fact that unfortunately leading a life in the military means dealing with loss is inevitable,” Gourishetty said. “It has definitely led me to understand the significance of Memorial Day more.”

In addition, Gourishetty said there can still be room for students of this school to gain a deeper appreciation of the holiday. 

“I believe that if Carmel does have events for Memorial Day there will be a lot of students that will participate regardless if it’s held after we’re out of school,” Gourishetty said. “It would also be a great way to honor those who’ve lost their lives for us.”

Christopher Tichindelean, Carmel Mayor’s Youth Council (CMYC) member and junior, said a student-focused Memorial Day could be a feasible event.

“CMYC is focused a lot on community involvement and engaging youth, so CMYC definitely could take a stance and try to get people involved,” Tichindelean said. “(Memorial Day) is not something we have thought about so far or considered. However, it would align with our mission in general and could become its own thing in the future.”

To Shawn Curtis, who will be teaching U.S. government next year, Memorial Day sometimes gets overshadowed by other holidays. Curtis said Memorial Day and Veterans Day can get mixed up even though the two events have different meanings.

“Veterans Day has some memories in it, but it’s more about being thankful to the veterans, doing what you can for veterans and remembering the work that we still have to do for veterans, remembering their sacrifice but also remembering that we still owe them a lot and we need to continue to push for them,” Curtis said. “Veterans Day is more about thanking those who are here today, while Memorial Day is to take time and have memories of what we have had in the past. While on Veterans Day many businesses remain open and offer promotions to veterans, on Memorial Day many businesses are closed because the point is to go to cemeteries and such to reflect.”

In addition, Curtis said the Carmel Memorial Day ceremony is more than appropriate given the surrounding events of late May.

“It’s a way of remembering why we live, how we live and the freedoms we have. It’s a way of remembering those who took the ultimate sacrifice of public service for their government’s sake. It’s about remembering those who stood up against Nazism and fascism. It’s about those who served in times where we agreed with the war and when we didn’t agree with the war because they saw it as an act of duty. It’s a reminder of why we can live in a country which has had constancy of government since 1787,” Curtis said. “I think a lot of times Memorial Day gets lost in the shuffle of sales and car deals and barbecues, so it’s important to take time to remember.”