Memorial Day Ceremony at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery
The annual Memorial Day ceremony at the N.D. Veterans Cemetery was conducted on May 25 without the normal audience of several thousand patriots due to the current COVID-19 pandemic. This virtual event was live streamed and featured remarks by Gov. Doug Burgum, Sen. John Hoeven, Sen. Kevin Cramer and Maj. Gen. Al Dohrmann, N.D. adjutant general. The keynote speaker was retired Maj. Arnie Strebe and the event was emceed by Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Jon Wymer, North Dakota National Guard.
Top photo: Gov. Doug Burgum accepts the wreath from 1st Sgt. Jake Hahne at the Memorial Day ceremony at the N.D. Veterans Cemetery. Burgum placed the wreath in honor of all of the military members buried at the cemetery.
Members of the N.D. Funeral Honor team fires a 21-gun salute with a World War I era French 75 millimeter cannon during the annual Memorial Day ceremony at the N.D. Veterans Cemetery on May 25.
Memorial Day Ceremony Video
Fargo's First Memorial Day Ceremony
The inaugural Memorial Day ceremony was held at the Fargo National Cemetery on May 25. Social distancing measures were taken, as veterans were honored during the event. The cemetery was dedicated Sept. 7, 2019.
N.D. Guard Soldiers Courier Tests
N.D. National Guard members are securely transporting COVID-19 test specimens from state-wide sites to the Department of Health lab in Bismarck. The N.D. Guard continues to partner with local and state agencies providing timely COVID-19 testing in the continued fight to limit the spread of the virus.
Spc. Andrew Geigle, 426th Signal Company, left, and Sgt. Logan Tandsater, 1st Battalion, 188th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, take a cooler loaded with COVID-19 tests to their vehicle at the Cass County Jail on May 27. The Soldiers transported the specimens to the N.D. Department of Health Department lab in Bismarck for test analysis.
Sgt. Logan Tandsater, 1st Battalion, 188th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, right, Spc. Andrew Geigle, 426th Signal Company, pick up COVID-19 test specimens in West Fargo for transport to the N.D. Department of health lab in Bismarck on May 27.
Virtual ROTC Commissioning
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Army ROTC programs at the University of North Dakota (UND) and North Dakota State University (NDSU) conducted virtual commissioning ceremonies on May 15 and May 16 respectfully. The ceremonies were broadcast using Zoom® and streamed live on Facebook allowing family and friends of the new officers to watch and interactively participate in the festivities. Concordia College ROTC's program, a satellite of NDSU's program, celebrated the commissioning of four officers on May 4.
The virtual commissioning streams reached more than 5,000 people. Of the 22 cadets accepting their commissions during these ceremonies, 13 new lieutenants did so as members of the N.D. Army National Guard.
COVID-19 mobile testing site in Medora
Sgt. Travis Johnson, 81st Civil Support Team, collects information from participants at the mobile COVID-19 testing site in Medora on May 27. This was part of a four-day testing mission that spanned the cities of Medora, Beach, Hettinger and Mott, N.D. This mission is a part of the N.D. National Guard’s continued support to the state and local communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sgt. Dominic Kessel (Left) and Sgt. Nicole Jochim, both of the 816th Military Police Company, collect information from participants at the mobile COVID-19 testing site in Medora on May 27.
Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Keller, 81st Civil Support Team, collects information from participants at the COVID-19 testing site in Medora on May 27.
COVID-19 Testing in Williston
COVID-19 Testing in Crosby
COVID-19 Testing in Trenton
The Loss of N.D. Guard Soldier
1st Lt. Cody Holte, 29, assigned to the Lisbon-based 815th Engineer Company was killed in the line of duty in Grand Forks serving as member of the Grand Forks Police Department. Holte enlisted in the Army Reserve in 2010 and later received a commission as a 2nd Lt. in the N.D. Army National Guard in 2015. Read Gov. Burgum and Maj. Gen. Dohrmann's statement.
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