The Keweenaw County Veterans Affairs Office and American Legion Post 230 in Mohawk hold the event annually at the Keweenaw County Honor Roll in Ahmeek, located along U.S. 41.

Josh Rheault, veterans service officer for Keweenaw County, led the crowd in remembering the more than 666,441 service members killed in action in American history, spanning the start of the Revolutionary War to the withdrawals from Afghanistan and Iraq.

“A pact exists between the living and the dead,” he said. “Those of us who came home keep alive the memories of those who did not. We invite the community to attend so that all may witness our pact, and all may honor the fallen, so that across this great nation, all who consider serving know should they be called upon to give their life and service, their sacrifice will be remembered.”

Keweenaw County’s largest share of veterans now comes from the Vietnam era. Rheault emphasized that era in his list of the fallen, looking back with “sadness and shame” at their treatment upon returning to America.

Garrett Neese/Daily Mining Gazette Members of the Calumet High School Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps served as color guard during Monday’s Memorial Day ceremony in Ahmeek.

“There was a lot of nasty things said to people returning from war who had witnessed their friends die in service of their country,” he said afterward. “So we always like to take the time to honor them especially to do a little bit to right the historical injustice they faced.”

The county has approximately 320 living veterans, Rheault said. With recordkeeping being spotty in the early years, it’s unknown how many Keweenaw County residents gave their lives in service.

There also isn’t a comprehensive list of the gravesite of every veteran buried in Keweenaw County. If anyone knows of a veteran who isn’t being honored with a marker, Rheault encouraged them to pass that information along.

“If somebody’s worried there’s a veteran that isn’t receiving a marker, reach out to your township, call my office, and we’ll make sure we get that right, because we want to honor those people,” he said.

Community members also pitched in by providing the flowers laid at the memorial site during Monday’s ceremony.

Garrett Neese/Daily Mining Gazette Josh Rheault, the veterans service officer for Keweenaw County, delivers a Memorial Day address at the Keweenaw County Honor Roll in Ahmeek Monday.

The Calumet High School Band played several patriotic numbers, while the members of the Calumet High School Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps served as color guard.

After the ceremony, people were invited to American Legion Post 230 in Mohawk for refreshments.

Garrett Neese/Daily Mining Gazette Ryan Watt conducts the Calumet High School Band during Monday’s Memorial Day ceremony in Ahmeek.

Garrett Neese/Daily Mining Gazette Veterans from American Legion Post 230 in Mohawk listen to Monday’s Memorial Day speech.