Lt. Gen. Richard E. “Tex” Brown III (Ret) to speak to one of the Southwest’s largest observances
FORT WORTH, Texas – Continuing a solemn tradition that began in 1930, the Mount Olivet Cemetery Association invites the community to the 97th Annual Fort Worth Memorial Day Service at Mount Olivet Cemetery. The ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. on Monday, May 25, 2026, at 2301 N. Sylvania Avenue, and is free to the public.
As one of the oldest Memorial Day observances in the United States, the event serves as a cornerstone of remembrance for Tarrant County. Veterans, local dignitaries and families will gather to honor brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice. It often draws between 500-800 attendees each year.
This year’s keynote speaker is U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Richard E. “Tex” Brown III (Ret). Commissioned through the Air Force ROTC program at Texas Christian University in 1970, Gen. Brown served 34 years on active duty. His distinguished career includes 140 combat missions in Southeast Asia and over 3,500 flying hours in fighter aircraft. He is the recipient of the Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star and the Distinguished Flying Cross. He is also the former Acting Assistant Vice Chief of Staff and Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel of the Air Force.
Additional speakers include Captain Beau Hufstetler, Commanding Officer of NAS JRB Fort Worth; Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare; Lt. Cmdr. Bradley Spear; Mayor Pro Tem Carlos Flores, City Councilman Charles Lauersdorf and City Councilwoman Jeanette Martinez. Other dignitaries will be in attendance, including additional City Council members.
The ceremony will feature several time-honored traditions, including:
A ceremonial “Placing of the Wreaths”
“Taps” performed by bugler Seth Williams
“Amazing Grace,” performed on bagpipes by retired firefighter Lt. Steve Creed
Guest ushers from Scout Troop 50 from Longhorn Council, Scouting America
“Mount Olivet has stood as a place of honor for North Texas families since 1907,” said Arlie Davenport, chairman of the board for the Mount Olivet Cemetery Association. “Hosting this service for 97 years is more than a tradition; it is our duty to ensure that the heroes resting here, and those who have fallen across the globe, are never forgotten.”
The service is held near the cemetery’s center, adjacent to two life-size bronze statues: a modern American infantryman and a World War I “Doughboy,” the latter of which was unveiled in 1929. Attendees will be surrounded by the “Avenue of Flags,” featuring burial flags presented by the U.S. government to the families of deceased veterans.
Immediately following the main ceremony, an escorted motorcade will depart for the East Northside Drive Bridge. A brief Naval Service will be held overlooking the Fort Worth skyline, where wreaths will be cast onto the Trinity River to honor personnel from the U.S. Navy, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marines who died in service.
