The annual Memorial Day program to remember Wicomico County residents who have died in service to the country will not be held this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We talked about it, but there are a lot of older veterans and we don’t want to take any chances,” said Tony Sarbanes, organizer of the event that started in 2002.

Committee members debated whether to hold a small ceremony and have it recorded by PAC 14, but decided against it. Instead, if conditions improve the event might be rescheduled this summer, he said.

The program is normally held at the Wicomico County War Veterans Memorial outside the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center. The tribute to the county’s fallen heroes includes the reading of their names and a wreath presentation.

The plaque on the memorial includes the names of 191 Wicomico County residents who died in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, Afghanistan and Iraq.

Of the 39 who died during World War I, 19 of them died during the influenza pandemic, Sarbanes said.

“And here we are 100 years later,” he said.

This year’s ceremony would have been the 18th annual event.

When information is available about a future service, it will be shared at WicomicoCivicCenter.org.