Memorial Day, formerly known as Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in the service of their country. On Monday, May 31, at Oak View Memorial Park in Antioch, veterans will be honored with speeches, music and more during a Memorial Day celebration from 9 a.m. to noon.

The free, public event will feature honor guard music, military displays and memorabilia, a motorcycle procession through the streets of downtown Antioch led by the Antioch Memorial Thunder, a VFW gun salute and a dove release. Bagpipes, educational booths and a demonstration by local Boy Scouts on properly retiring an American flag will also be a part of the program. The motorcycle procession begins at 9:30 a.m. and proceeds from Antioch City Hall to the cemetery at 2500 E. 18th Street.

The annual event, begun 12 years ago by Antioch Mayor Jim Davis, is an opportunity for the community to honor, celebrate and thank veterans – past and present – for their service.

“We decided a long time ago that each year we would commemorate and celebrate our veterans here in Antioch, and each year it has grown and expanded,” said Davis. “When you think of your freedoms, you think of a veteran. Everything that we have that we take for granted, you can thank a veteran for, not a politician, and for that, we will carry on their names.”

For more information, call 925-757-2020 or 925-754-3714, or visit www.antiochthunder.org.