The City of St. Cloud, along with numerous veterans, youth, and civic organizations observed Memorial Day on Monday.Over 100 people attended the morning ceremony at Mount Peace Cemetery.
Earlier, small flags had been planted at each veteran’s grave in the cemetery.
The Mount Peace Cemetery holds almost 1,400 veterans graves, including over 400 from the Civil War. Among the veterans' graves is the unique story of Amzi Davis Harman, who received our country’s highest award for valor, the Medal of Honor, while fighting as a member of the 211th Pennsylvania Infantry during the Civil War battle at Petersburg, Va. Surviving the war, he moved his family to St.
Cloud in 1917. He was an honorary pallbearer at the internment of the first Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery in 1921, however, Memorial Day was not intended for honoring surviving veterans like Amzi Harmon, that holiday comes each November.
Memorial Day seeks to honor veterans like Amzi Harmon’s grandson, Otto Ross Bleech, who as a 21-year-old naval aviator piloted a torpedo bomber during World War II. He died just five days before the end of that war while attacking Japanese shipping. His headstone in the Mt. Peace Cemetery is marked “In Memory Of” as his remains were never recovered.
The ceremony finished with the Osceola County Veterans Council honor guard firing a 21-gun salute and
three buglers playing echoing Taps.
Story and photos by Terry Lloyd
