By Robin Widmar
Pikes Peak National Cemetery is a place for families and friends to pause, remember and honor military service members and veterans. At 10 a.m. May 25, the cemetery will host a Memorial Day observance to pay tribute to fallen service members. A cemetery official said the program is expected to include an honor guard, the New Horizons Concert Band, Scouting America and American Legion Post 209, which will provide a rifle salute, and more. The Honor Bell also will be present.
The Memorial Day event is free and open to the public. It draws large crowds, so officials encourage carpooling and using the free shuttle service. Details were still being finalized at press time; check PPNC’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/NatCemPikesPeak/) for updates.
PPNC also hosts events throughout the year to honor service members and veterans. This year, the cemetery plans to mark the Sept. 11 anniversary with a ceremony on Saturday, Sept. 12. It also expects to take part again in Wreaths Across America in December, when volunteers place holiday wreaths on veterans’ graves.
Located in southeast Colorado Springs, PPNC is the final resting place for thousands of veterans and eligible family members from across the Front Range and beyond. Established in 2018, the 374-acre site is designed to serve the burial needs of more than 95,000 veterans, spouses and eligible family members over the next 100 years, according to its website. About 2,800 veterans and family members are currently interred at PPNC.
The cemetery includes gravesites and columbaria for above-ground interment, along with administration and maintenance buildings, committal shelters, a flagpole assembly area and a public information center with an electronic gravesite locator and restrooms.
The cemetery is located at 10545 Drennan Road and is open to the public daily from sunrise to sunset. Administrative hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Offices are closed on federal holidays, except Memorial Day. For more information, call 719-391-6920 or visit the website: https://www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/PikesPeak.asp
Photo cemetery: At 10 a.m. May 25, the Pikes Peak National Cemetery will host a Memorial Day observance to pay tribute to fallen service members.The PPNC is the final resting place for thousands of veterans and family members.
