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Memorial Day 2024

The image features the logo of the American Legion, showcasing patriotic colors and a bold, modern design.

The American Legion Gilroy Post 217 will host Memorial Day 2025 at 10:00 AM on May 26th at Gavilan Hills Cemetery. For more information, contact Post 217 Commander William Dunmyer at (408) 590-0575.

Why do we celebrate Memorial Day?

The national holiday was established to honor those who have died in American wars. Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day. It originated during the American Civil War, when citizens would place flowers on the graves of those who had been killed in battle.

A group of scouts and adults pay tribute, saluting the American flag during a ceremony in a park.
World War I 

Charles C. Crews

Benjamin Garcia

Arthur Mooney

John Sturla

World War II 

Edward S. Ahren

Joe Altamirano

Ernest Avila

John A. Berri

Charles Blanchard

Joseph Briscejn

Curtis E. Chappell

Francis E. Chick

Earl Coates

Louis E. Cohn Cole

Gene S. Collumber

Rueben Compton

Joseph Cordich

Jack DeVine

Clarence Dishman

Donald E. Ferguson

Jerome H. Ferguson

Donald F. Gage

Salver G. Gagliardi

Frank C. Galvan

Pete M. Hernandez

Santos Hernandez

William James

Leroy Johnson

Warren M. Kannely

Walter E. Kannely

Edwin F. Kellog

Ted Laskowski

Walter J. Lass

Leland E. Leonard

Lawrence L. Manzo

Merlin Martin

Frank Masoni

Adolph S. Montoya

Keith B. Munro

Joseph P. Nelson

Joe Nunez

Eugene T. Parra

Carl E. Peterson

Melvin L. Pruett

Donald Ray

Julian Rizzi

John Rodriquez

Ernest R. Rossi

Arnold Settrini

Oswald O. Southworth

Earl Stout

Harvey T. Taylor

Vernon W. Taylor

Shichizo Toyota

Arthur Villa

Wesley G. Weeks

Charles Whitehurst

Richard White

Gerald Whyte

Korea 

Joe Baldonado*

Reginald Desiderio*

William Faddis

John P. Langwell

Crescencio Mirelez

Alvin Painter

Frank R. Rosas

Alvin Seifert

 

*Medal of Honor Recipient

Vietnam 

Joseph Lopez Bedolla

Charles Manuel Centeno

James Wilbur Ervin

Richard Garcia

Lee Attilio Greco

Wolfgang Werner Karasch

Jack William Marlowe

Juan Rodriguez Pequeño

Moses Placeres

Alfred Valdez

John V. Wentworth

Iraq 

Jeramy Ailes

Afghanistan 

David Gutierrez

 

Gilroy's Fallen Heroes

A Fallen Hero is one who has sacrificed the ultimate, his or her life, while in the service to our country, in whichever branch of the United States Armed Forces he or she served.