Llano Cemetery Association Memorial Day Ceremony

Llano Cemetery Association Special Tribute Ceremony

Llano would like to recognize and memorialize Mark N. Blankenship, as the founder of The Avenue of Flags at Llano Cemetery Association during the Memorial Day program.  We would invite you all to join us in not only recognizing our fallen military men/women but also our lost Executive Director, our friend. These last six months have been hard on everyone.  It was an honor to work with Mark and we continue to look for ways to memorialize his legacy properly.

The Avenue of Flags is a program that he started at Llano Cemetery honoring the military men and women who have passed away.  Families either donate the funeral flag from their loved ones or purchase a new flag and pole from Llano Cemetery.  As part of the Memorial Day program the families who donated flags this previous year are escorted to their flag pole location and when all families have attached their flags will raise the flags simultaneously.  It is a beautiful sight to behold.  The other flags from prior years will be flying all weekend, but the new flags will only be raised during the ceremony.   Although Mark wasn’t military, we would like to pay homage to him for starting the program at Llano.  His flag will not be in sequence with the military men/women, but will be in an equally dignified area beside the stage.

Llano Cemetery will also be streaming the program on Llano’s Facebook and YouTube pages.  The program starts at 10:00 am Monday, May 31, 2021.  We hope this finds you well and look forward to finding out if you think you might attend.

Mark was a in the funeral & cemetery business for over 40 years.

LLANO CEMETERY ASSOCIATION MEMORIAL DAY SERVICE Monday, May 31st 2021

HONORED HOST GOLDING-MEADOWS VFW POST #1475, AMARILLO, TEXAS

MIKEL McGUIRE POST COMMANDER

Call to Order Aircraft Flyover…………………………………….Blue Sky Honor Flight

Light Artillery Gun Opening Salvo……… The First Texas Light Artillery, Battery A, Supported by the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR), Frontier Regiment of the High Plains (FRHP), and the Plemmons / Shelby Camp of the Sons of the Confederate Veterans (SCV)

Presentation of the Colors…… Color Guard United States Navy JROTC Cadets, Tascosa High School, Amarillo,

Texas “To The Colors” ……………………………………..

Invocation………………………….Anthony Milback, Chaplain, V.F.W. Post #1475

“National Anthem”…………………………………Cindy Reisenberg, High School Counselor

Pledge of Allegiance……………………..Milkel McGuire, Commander, V.F.W. Post #1475

Opening Remarks……………………………………………………JoAnn Flores Garcia President, Llano Cemetery Association Board of Directors

“America The Beautiful’…………………………………………..WTAMU Quartet Introduction of Distinguished…………………………….

Joe A. Alonzo Interim Director Llano Cemetery Association

Memorial Address Congressman Ronny L. Jackson

Laying of the Wreath………………………………………Mrs. Alice Alonzo, Gold Star Mother

Escorted by Joshua Tillerson, Surgeon Incoming Junior Vice Commander and Jesus Gonzales

Junior Vice Commander from the Golding – Meadows V.F.W. Post #1475

The Raising of The Flags – Llano Cemetery’s “Avenue of Flags” Tribute  

Adam Wilcox…………………………………………………………………………… “Amazing Grace”

“God Bless America”…………………………………………………………………………WTAMU Quartet

Light Artillery Gun Closing Salvo

Taps………………..Shane Watson, Bugler, Potter County Sheriff

The 2021 Avenue of Flags have been donated in Honor and Memory

By the Families of Veterans