HAGERSTOWN — Hagerstown Mayor Robert E. Bruchey II and members of the city council on Tuesday afternoon held a brief wreath-laying ceremony at the Memorial Boulevard Veterans Monument.

“Let’s keep all those veterans, and now who are fighting every day, in our prayers,” Bruchey said.

Bruchey and Councilmen William Breichner and Forrest Easton laid a red, white and blue wreath next to the memorial.

Bethany Palkovitz, 15, a student at Barbara Ingram School for the Arts, sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” for the small crowd gathered along Memorial Boulevard.

Kyle Weary, head of the school’s vocal department, said he asked Bethany to sing because, “she’s one of our very good singers.”

Lester Hart, a World War II veteran from Halfway, attended the ceremony with his wife, Kathleen.

“I’m a soldier. You can see, I was a soldier,” Hart said as he stood in uniform with several medals and other decorations on his chest.

He served with former U.S. Sen. Bob Dole, and was wounded in the same battle as Dole, Hart said.

The Harts said they plan to attend several veterans ceremonies today, including ones in Smithsburg and Halfway.