All are invited to attend the city of Mentor’s annual Memorial Day Ceremony on Monday, May 25, 2026, at 10:00 AM at the Mentor Municipal Cemetery.
The ceremony will be preceded by a solemn parade which will step-off at 9:30 AM from Memorial Middle School located at 8979 Mentor Avenue. It will proceed north to the cemetery, arriving at the Mentor Memorial Promenade.
The keynote address will be provided by Mark “Puck” Mykleby, Colonel, USMC(Ret).
Mark Mykleby was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps following his graduation from the US Naval Academy in 1987. Designated as a qualified F/A-18 pilot in December 1990, he served in five fleet fighter squadrons from January 1991 to May 2006, executing numerous land based and ship borne deployments to the European, Pacific, and Southwest Asian theaters in support of Operations PROVIDE PROMISE, DENY FLIGHT, SOUTHERN WATCH, ENDURING FREEDOM, and IRAQI FREEDOM. In June 2007, Mykleby was assigned to the US Special Operations Command where he developed strategy for Special Operations Forces. From July 2009 until April 2011, he served as a special strategic assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In that capacity, he co-authored with Navy Captain Wayne Porter A National Strategic Narrative, a concept and vision for a 21st Century grand strategy for the nation. Mykleby retired from the Marine Corps in August 2011. Following retirement, he performed numerous roles in the think tank, academic, and private sectors. He is currently the Executive Director of the Human Fusions Institute at Case Western Reserve University.
Members of city council and administration, county and state elected officials, and other veterans and civic groups will be in attendance.
Mentor Municipal Cemetery is located at 6881 Hopkins Road.