Nebraska will hold a virtual Memorial Day observance on May 25 with an all-day salute to veterans in the Capitol Rotunda.
The event, which will substitute for traditional Memorial Day gatherings that are being canceled throughout the state as a result of the coronavirus, will be livestreamed on NET.
"People can participate all across the state," Nebraska Veterans Affairs Director John Hilgert said Friday.
Hilgert joined Gov. Pete Ricketts at the governor's daily coronavirus news briefing to outline plans for the event.
The observance will occur from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
A candle will be lit by Gold Star mother Monica Alexander at 8 a.m. and extinguished at 8 p.m. by Gold Star father Mel Alexander.
Their son, Army Cpl. Matthew Alexander of Gretna, was killed on May 6, 2007, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle in Baqubah, Iraq.
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Honor Guard sentinels from veterans organizations will watch over the candle in half-hour shifts during the day.
Participants at the Capitol will come and go, observing the 10-person limit on gatherings in Nebraska at this time, Hilgert said.
Hilgert noted that Friday marked the VE Day anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe in 1945.
Some 144,000 Nebraskans served in World War II, he said, and 2,500 are still living. Some 3,000 Nebraskans were killed in combat during the war.