A sparse crowd of about 75 persons turned out Monday for Memorial Day ceremonies at Roosevelt Park on St. Thomas.
The one-hour program was the last of three observances held on St. Thomas. It was preceded by a service at Western Cemetery that saw retired Col. Cleave McBean place a wreath at a memorial at Western Cemetery.
A seaside memorial was held next at the Coast Guard dock where Gilbert Samuel, a retired officer in the U.S. Navy, tossed a wreath to honor those who died at the sea.
A procession then moved from the Coast Guard Dock to Roosevelt Park.
At the Roosevelt Park ceremony, attended by Gov. Charles Turnbull, members of the Cabinet and Sens. Roosevelt David and Lorraine Berry, St. Thomas-Water Island Administrator Louis Hill read from the Memorial Day proclamations signed by President Bill Clinton and Gov. Turnbull.
Clinton proclaimed this Memorial Day as a day of honor for minority veterans of World War II.
At each ceremony the V.I. National Guard honored the war dead with a traditional 21-gun salute
Turnbull, Ernie Shulterbrandt and the commander of the American Legion Post 90, which hosted the ceremonies, laid a wreath at the memorial that graces the side entrance of the park on Norre Gade.
Dr. Alfred O. Heath, a retired Virgin Islands brigadier general, delivered the keynote address. Turnbull also spoke at the ceremony.
Similar ceremonies were held simultaneously on St. Croix.