From staff reports
Clarion
The Craig E. Fleming American Legion Post 66 and Ross A. McGinnis Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2145, both of Clarion, will co-host a Memorial Day service at 11 a.m. Monday, May 30, at the Clarion Cemetery on Second Avenue.
Ken Orsino, commander of the American Legion Post 66, will be master of ceremonies for the event. Pastor Harry Hoff of Hope Rising Church of Clarion will lead the invocation and benediction.
The Clarion Area High School band, under the direction of Sara Dodson, will play the National Anthem and “Taps,” and the Pledge of Allegiance will be led by Clarion’s Boy Scouts of America, Troop 51.
Ray McGunicle is the guest speaker.
The American Legion Auxiliary will present this year’s scholarship awards. The American Legion Post 66 Honor Guard will provide the rifle salute and auxiliary presidents from the American Legion and VFW will place the wreath. Post 66 American Legion Riders will be present in honor of our veterans.
Following the services at the cemetery, naval services will be held at the Wayne R. Weaver Memorial Bridge at Toby.
A luncheon will be held at the VFW at 603 Liberty Street in Clarion immediately following the naval service.
In the event of inclement weather, the service will be held upstairs in the American Legion at 503 Main Street in Clarion.
For more information concerning the Memorial Day service, contact American Legion Commander Ken Orsino at (814) 671-2694.
Knox
The Berlin Bowser Post 720 American Legion in Knox will hold Memorial Day services Monday, May 30, at the following cemeteries:
9 a.m., St. Marks Memorial Chapel at Knox
9:30 a.m., Pleasant Hill Cemetery at Shippenville
10 a.m., Providence
10:30 a.m., Mt. Joy Methodist Church at Knox
11 a.m., St. Paul’s Lutheran Church at Knox
11:30 a.m., Knox Union Cemetery
Noon, American Legion Post 720 Memorial
The public is invited to attend any of these services.
Lamartine
The DeHart-Rossman-Wenner Post 997 will meet at 7:30 a.m. Monday, May 30, at the community building and proceed to the following cemeteries for services:
8:20 a.m., Zion
8:45 a.m., Richland
9:05 a.m., Crossroads
9:25 a.m., Starr
9:45 a.m., Valley
10:15 a.m., Monroe
10:45 a.m., Salem United Church of Christ
11:15 a.m., Salem Lutheran
All legion members and any other service men, auxiliary, Boy and Girl Scouts and other groups wishing to participate are welcome.
Rimersburg
The Shearer-Shick Post 454 of the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7132 will host Sunday, May 29, and Memorial Day, Monday, May 30, commemorative services in Rimersburg.
Beginning at 3 p.m. Sunday, May 29, at the Veteran’s Memorial Park, Bob Carmichael will act as master of ceremonies for the service. Rev. Mark Deeter, pastor of the Wildcat Wesleyan Methodist Church, will be the guest speaker. Rev. John Bargar, pastor of the Rimersburg United Methodist Church, will provide the invocation, prayer and benediction. The ladies quartet from the Baker Street Church of God will present a special musical selection.
In the event of inclement weather, Sunday Memorial service will be held in the United Methodist Church in Rimersburg.
Steve Wiencek will serve as master of ceremonies. Retired Pastor, Dan George, will offer the invocation, prayer and benediction.
The guest speaker will be Michele Elder, a teacher at Union High School. She is the wife of Jeff Elder of Sligo.
Union High School marching band under the direction of Lisa Hummel will perform special musical selections. Maddie Elder-Coy will present a vocal selection.
Three Union High School eighth grade students will participate in the program. Jackson Renwick, son of Rick and Beth Renwick of Rimersburg, will recite the “Gettysburg Address,” Laila Earley, daughter of Steven and Natasha Earley of Rimersburg, will recite “In Flander’s Fields,” and Cole Wilson, son of Ryan and Amy Wilson of Rimersburg, will recite “America’s Answer.”
In the event of inclement weather, the program will be held at 9 a.m. at Union High School.
Veterans need not be a member of the American Legion or the VFW to participate in either service.
Any veteran desiring to be part of the parade but are not physically able to do so, should call Commander of the American Legion, Terry Custer at (814) 473-8364 and transportation will be arranged to and from the cemetery.
New Bethlehem
The Walter W. Craig Post 354 of the American Legion will honor their community’s fallen heroes who gave the ultimate sacrifice while defending their country by holding its annual Memorial Day service for the New Bethlehem community.
The service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 28, at Gumtown Park in New Bethlehem.
In the event of inclement weather, the service will be moved to the First Baptist Church at the corner of Broad and LaFayette streets in New Bethlehem.
Post Adjutant Ted Minich will be the Master of Ceremonies. He will welcome invited guests, state Rep. Donna Oberlander (R-63), Clarion County Commissioners and Armstrong County Commissioners.
The guest speaker will be Terry George of New Bethlehem, a Vietnam veteran who served in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS Jouet (DLG-29) as a sonar technician.
He is a member of the original ships company known as a “Plankowner” a title that only the original crew can hold. The Jouett a cruiser class ship made port in many “ports of call” including Hawaii, Vancouver, Canada, Guam, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Yokosuka and Tokyo, Japan.
While serving off the coast of Vietnam, the ship was responsible for rescuing eight pilots who ejected from damaged aircraft.
Currently George serves as president of the Donald Lobaugh Military Museum in Rimersburg and is a member of the American Legion Post 354 in New Bethlehem.
The program will include patriotic music provided by the Redbank Valley High School band.
Post Chaplain Glenn Neiswonger will give the invocation and benediction.
The program will honor area veterans who died in the various periods of hostilities in which the United States was involved. Additionally, American Legion post members who have died since Memorial Day of 2021 will also be honored.
A memorial wreath will be placed into the Redbank Creek as a farewell to our departed comrades followed by a rifle salute fired by the Posts honor guard.
All in the community are invited to join in paying tribute to those who died serving our country around the world. Join in this somber reflection and pay homage to those who gave all to keep us free.
Strattanville
The Strattanville American Legion Post 249 will hold its annual Memorial Day service at 10:30 a.m., Monday, May 30 at Strattanville legion. In the event of rain weather, services will be in the sanctuary of the Methodist Church in Strattanville.
Fred Lewis, post commander, will be Master of Ceremonies for the service.
Auxiliary President Pat Lewis will present eighth-grade outstanding female student award to Clarion-Limestone student Audrey Aaron. Her father is Robert Aaron.
Auxiliary Chaplain Christine Fitzsimmons will announce deceased members of the year.
Guest speaker will be Randon Bartley. He is a Brookville native, who attended Brookville High School and Clarion University before entering the U.S. Army.
He is active in community affairs including serving as president of the board of directors of Jefferson County Historical Society; president of Old Western PA Laurel Festival; and chairman of the Victorian Christmas and Brookville Chamber of Commerce.
Bartley also serves as chairman of the Jefferson County Bicentennial Committee; member of American Legion Post 102 where he is a member of Brookville Honor Guard; and serves as vice president of Brookville council.
His many accomplishments include, authoring Jefferson County Pioneers to Aviators, appearing in Gods and Generals movie, and serving as producer on video, Hope Deferred American Towns at War.
For 29 years, Bartley was a volunteer for National Park Service at Gettysburg and Antietam National Battlefield Parks.
He is a retired editor of the Jeffersonian Democrat and is currently employed by The Derrick in Oil City and The Clarion News.
Rev. Jeff Foor of the Methodist Church in Strattanville will give the invocation and benediction.
Mark Campbell will place the wreath and local Boy Scouts will lead the Pledge of Allegiance. Clarion-Limestone High School marching band under the direction of Jenn Hubler will perform special musical selections.
After the service, Community Watch will provide a luncheon which includes a ham or turkey sandwich, macaroni salad, baked beans, dessert and a drink at Strattanville fire hall. This luncheon is free to veterans. There is a $6 fee for all other lunches. The luncheon will conclude at 1:30 p.m.