Memorial Day Ceremony
Memorial Day Ceremony
When:
Mon. May 25, 2026, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. ET
Where:
Western Carolina State Veterans Cemetery
962 Old US 70 Highway
Black Mountain, NC
Cost:
Free
Buncombe County Memorial Day Ceremony to Honor Fallen Service Members at Western Carolina State Veterans Cemetery
Annual Ceremony to Feature Veteran Speakers, Musical Performances, and Traditional Military Honors
The City of Asheville and the Buncombe County Veterans Council will host the Buncombe County Memorial Day Ceremony on Monday, May 25, 2026, beginning at 10:00 a.m. at the Western Carolina State Veterans Cemetery, 962 W Old US Hwy 70, Black Mountain, NC. The public is invited to attend and pay tribute to the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to the United States.
The ceremony will be led by Allan Perkal, Chair of the Buncombe County Veterans Council and Co-Chair of the Healthcare Committee for Vietnam Veterans of America, who served in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War.
Opening honors will include a Presentation of Colors by American Legion Post 317 of Marshall, NC, followed by the National Anthem, performed by Bradley Parker, USMC, representing Marine Corps League Detachment 1317, and the Pledge of Allegiance.
The keynote address will be delivered by Emiliano Enea, a U.S. Army Combat Veteran who served in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Enea is a board member of Brothers and Sisters Like These, a veteran writing group that uses the craft of writing as a means of healing the wounds of war.
Musical selections will be performed throughout the ceremony by the AC Reynolds High School Choral Group.
The ceremony will also feature readings by fellow members of Brothers and Sisters Like These. Monica Blankenship, a U.S. Air Force Flight Nurse who served from 1974 to 1981, will read her original piece "Mission." Alfredo Hurtado, a U.S. Army Iraq Combat Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient, and Co-founder of Black Box Dance Theatre, will also share an original work.
Following the readings, the Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 124 of Asheville, NC will conduct the Presentation of the Memorial Wreath in honor of all fallen service members. American Legion Post 317 of Marshall, NC will then perform a 21-Gun Salute, and the ceremony will conclude with the playing of Taps.
For those unable to attend in person, the ceremony will be available to stream beginning at 3:00 p.m. on the City of Asheville's official YouTube channel at youtube.com/cityofasheville.