Reno Moms Blog Building a Community of Moms in the Biggest Little City
Each Memorial Day, millions of American flags are placed at the graves of our soldiers who gave the ultimate sacrifice. This year, Reno Moms Blog would like to share a soldier’s story and details on where you and your family can commemorate those we have lost in combat.
Jenny Durnan Petty’s story
My grandfather and his brother, Bobby, both served in World War II. Military service was a pretty regular part of my family history until my generation. I even had a relative who was a drummer during the Civil War.
The brothers joined the service when they were young, I think my grandpa was 17 when he joined. Bobby and my grandfather were incredibly close. However, when they both were shipped overseas they were sent to different areas.
Private First Class Robert Durnan served with the 24th Marines, 4th Marine Division, U.S. Marine Corps. He was killed at Iwo Jima and received the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. He was 18. It was devastating to my family.
I can’t imagine the heartache that must have caused my great-grandparents and his eight brothers and sisters when they received the telegram. Bobby’s remains are now at Pearl Harbor and to this day my family talks about bringing him home.
Northern Nevada Memorial Day Services and Memorials
95th Annual Memorial Day Veteran’s Ceremony at Mountain View Cemetery in Reno – This year’s Memorial Day ceremony will be held on Monday, May 30th, 2016 at 10am at the second fountain on the Main Avenue of the cemetery.
Lone Mountain Cemetery in Carson City – Lone Mountain Cemetery hosts a Memorial Day service to honor our veterans at 1:00 p.m. on Memorial Day in the Veterans section of the cemetery. You are invited to come and join us in honoring the men and women who have kept our country free.
Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Fernley – This National veterans’ cemetery is the final resting place for more than 10,000 service men and women. To find out about Memorial Day services here, call (775) 575-4441.
There also are several memorials in local city parks. If you are down by the River this weekend, take a few moments to visit Powning Veterans Memorial Park at 150 S. Virginia Street. The park features a statue of Civil War hero General Jesse Reno and a memorial for those service people we lost in Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait. In Sparks, visit the Sparks Memorial Park at Pyramid Way and C Street, which features memorials honoring those lost in Korea, Iraq and Afghanistan.
Please feel free to share stories, photos or names of those friends or family from the Armed Services you have lost and other Memorial Day events in their honor in the comments.
Other Memorial Day Weekend Activities and Events can be found at NewToReno.com. They have details on the V&T Railroad, Guided History Walks, The Discovery Museum, the National Automobile Museum, Idlewild Park Train and more!
This post was originally published on May 22, 2014, and was updated and re-posted on May 24, 2016.
