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Memorial Day Commemoration Live Streamed

SARASOTA, FLORIDA -- Local television station ABC 7 will present a live video stream of Sarasota National Cemetery's special commemoration of Memorial Day, which will begin at
5:00 p.m. (EDT) on Sunday, May 24.

Click here to go to the streaming page and watch the special.

Here's full details of the event, as sent out by the Sarasota National Cemetery Advisory Committee, in association with the Sarasota National Cemetery:

• Memorial Day 2015 ceremony honoring veterans and military families
• May 24, 2015 at 5:00 PM (EDT)
• Patriot Plaza at the Sarasota National Cemetery
• 9810 State Rd 72, Sarasota, FL 34241

Memorial Day Ceremony Celebrates the Lives of All Veterans, Salutes Vietnam Veterans on 50th Anniversary Sarasota National Cemetery is the final resting place for veterans who honorably served America in war and peace.

At 5:00 PM on May 24, 2015, the Sarasota National Cemetery Advisory Committee will host a Memorial Day ceremony at Patriot Plaza, 9810 State Road 72, Sarasota. The committee, composed of local veterans and supporters, organized the event as an expression of the community's dedication to remembering those who sacrificed in service to the country. A special salute to Vietnam War veterans will occur during the ceremony. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War and local veterans of that era attending will receive a special salute and commemorative lapel pin.

The Sarasota Military Academy will perform original music by Oldsmar resident Craig Gross. Gross' 25 year old son, Cpl. Frank R. Gross, was killed in Afghanistan. Trinity Christian Fellowship Center Choir, an award winning ensemble, will perform a medley of patriotic music.

Sarasota County Commissioner Carolyn Mason will deliver the Board of County Commissioners' proclamation. Lieutenant Colonel (U.S. Army Retired) Lee F. Kichen, Advisory Committee Chairman, said the ceremony celebrates the lives of veterans and their families, and honors those who rest at the pristine grounds of the cemetery. According to Kichen, "Every community resident, indeed every American, is responsible for perpetuating the legacy of those who selflessly gave some or made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedoms. Whether they died in battle or after living a long and fulfilling life after their military service, they epitomized duty, honor and country."

Brigadier General Richard M. Blunt, (U.S. Army, Ret), is the keynote speaker. During a career spanning over thirty-three years of active and reserve service, Blunt served in command and staff assignments that included leading joint forces operations and tours in Europe and Asia.

Colonel Ben Knisely, (USA, Ret), will deliver remarks. Knisely is a graduate of Riverview H.S. in Sarasota and entered military service following graduation from the University of South Florida. During a tour of duty in Viet Nam and while piloting a UH-1 MEDEVAC helicopter, he was shot down over enemy territory and listed as MIA until rescued in a highly publicized, heroic mission executed by the Army's famous 101st Airborne Division. The details of his harrowing escape and evasion actions are chronicled in a book entitled DUSTOFF 65.

Patriot Plaza has ample seating. Visitors may bring lawn chairs should they prefer seating closer to the stage.

http://www.mysuncoast.com/news/local/live-webcast-of-sunday-s-memorial-day-commemoration-at-sarasota/article_2302a2bc-00bc-11e5-a70e-2b3094e19bde.html