CLARION Organizations throughout Clarion County have announced plans for Memorial Day observances.
Clarion
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 29, at the Clarion Cemetery on Second Avenue.
Kurt Jaeger, acting commander of the American Legion Post 66, will be master of ceremonies for the event. A representative from 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.
Rex Munsee 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 530 Main Street in Clarion.
For more information concerning the Memorial Day service, contact American Legion acting Commander Kurt Jaeger at (814) 221-1513.
Knox
KNOX The Berlin Bowser Post 720 American Legion in Knox will hold Memorial Day services Monday, May 29, 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
LAMARTINE The DeHart-Rossman-Wenner Post 997 will meet at 7:30 a.m. Monday, May 29, 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
RIMERSBURG The Shearer-Shick Post 454 of the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7132 will host Memorial Sunday, May 28, and Memorial Day, Monday, May 29, commemorative services in Rimersburg.
Beginning at 3 p.m. Sunday, May 28, at the Veteran's Memorial Park, the Memorial Sunday service will be held. Bob Carmichael will act as master of ceremonies for the service. Pastor Noel Jack, associate pastor of the Baker Street Church of God, will be the guest speaker. Lay minister Brenda Haws, from the United Church of Christ, will provide the invocation, prayer and benediction. Terry George 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.
The annual Memorial Day parade will begin at 9 a.m. Monday, May 29, starting at the former Rimersburg Elementary School. Marching units are welcome to participate. The program at the cemetery will begin upon arrival of the parade procession.
Steve Wiencek will serve as master of ceremonies. Rev. Dr. Jack Gareis, pastor of Jerusalem United Church of Christ, will offer the invocation, prayer and benediction.
The guest speaker will be retired Captain Troy Mong, United States Navy. Captain Mong is a native of Huey and the son of Midge Mong and the late Larry Mong.
He graduated from Union High School in 1985 and from Grove City College in 1989 earning a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering. He received his commission at Naval Officer Candidate School in Newport, R.I. He received his master's degree in national security strategic studies from the Naval War College in Newport, R.I.
Captain Mong received numerous awards and commendations during his military service and in September of 2021, Captain Mong retired after 32 years of naval service. He and his wife, Joyce, reside in the New Bethlehem area.
Union High School marching band under the direction of Lisa Hummel and the UHS concert choir under the direction of David Gibson will perform special musical selections.
Three Union High School eighth grade students will participate in the program. Alex Walzak, son of Josh and Cathy Walzak of Sligo, will recite the "Gettysburg Address," Kiara Ackerman, daughter of Phil and Bethany Ackerman of Rimersburg, will recite "In Flander's Fields," and Riley Kriebel, daughter of Billie Jo Conner and Tim Kriebel 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 find the march a bit much, should call Commander of the American Legion, Charles Brothers, at (814) 473-6402 and transportation will be arranged to and from the cemetery.
New Bethlehem
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 27, 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 member Terry George will be the Master of Ceremonies. Joining George will be the singing group "Shades of Harmony" who will perform the National Anthem and other patriotic songs..
The Redbank Valley High School Band will peform patriotic songs. Mike Mazzocco will perform "Amazing Grace" on the bagpipes and Debbie and Matt Green will perform "Taps."
The keynote speaker will be Robert Carmichael Vietnam War-era U.S. Army veteran. Carmichael completed Officer Candidate School at Fort Sill, Okla. and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant. From there, he went to Airborne School at Fort Benning, Ga. Later, Carmichael was assigned as an artillery officer in the 82nd Airborne Division at Ft Bragg, N.C. He was honorably discharged in 1971.
After discharge, Carmichael returned to Rimersburg and enrolled at Clarion University where he graduated with a mathematics degree in secondary education. After graduation, he was hired at Redbank Valley High School where he taught for 30 years. He is married to the former Cathy Kline of Rimersburg, and they have three daughters.
The service will honor all area veterans who died during the different periods of hostilities the United States was involved in. They will be honored by saying their name, in what conflict they served, and ringing a bell of honor. In addition, the post will remember members of the local post who passed away during the last year.
The daughter of recently departed post member Allen Delp will lay a memorial wreath in Red Bank Creek, and honor guard will fire three volleys.
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
STRATTANVILLE The Strattanville American Legion Post 249 will hold its annual Memorial Day service at 10:30 a.m., Monday, May 29 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.
Jen Hurrelbrink will sing the National Anthem. Her and her daughter will lead in singing God Bless America.
Auxiliary President Pat Lewis will present eighth-grade outstanding female student award to Clarion-Limestone student Emma Zacherl. Her parents are Larry and Robin Zacherl. She is a member of the Boy Scouts Troop 51 and will be wearing her uniform.
Stephanie Simpson will recite In Flanders Fields. Her parents are Gus and Tina Simpson of Corsica.
Auxiliary Chaplain Christine Fitzsimmons will announce deceased members of the year.
Guest speaker will be state Rep. Donna Oberlander (R-63).
Oberlander was elected to serve her eighth term as state representative for the 63rd Legislative District in November of 2022 and was recently named the Republican Chairman for the House Tourism and Economic Development Committee for the 2023-24 term.
In June 2020, she made state history by becoming the first Republican woman and only the second woman in the history of the Pennsylvania General Assembly to be elected as majority whip, the third highest position in the House Republican Caucus.
Oberlander's other leadership positions include policy chairman from 2018-20 and caucus secretary from 2015-18. She was the first woman to chair the Policy Committee and the first representative from the 63rd District to achieve this advanced leadership role.
Her tenure in the House has also included services as a House Republican deputy whip and membership on the following standing committees: Appropriations, Children and Youth, Environmental Resources and Energy, and Local Government, along with previously serving as a board member of the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PennVEST).
Before her time in the state House, Oberlander was elected to the Clarion County Board of Commissioners, where she aggressively worked to control local government spending and took an active role in strategic planning for economic development and growth.
A proud graduate of Clarion University, she actively serves as a member of the PennWest Council of Trustees and was reappointed to the post in 2018.
Donna and her husband, Derek, a United States Marine Corps veteran, have two children, Tori and Tanner.
The 63rd Legislative District includes all of Clarion County and the Armstrong County communities of Boggs, Bradys Bend, Cowanshannock, Hovey, Kittanning, Madison, Mahoning, Perry, Pine, Plumcreek, Rayburn, Redbank, Sugarcreek, Valley, Washington, Wayne and West Franklin townships, Atwood, Dayton, Elderton, Kittanning, Rural Valley, South Bethlehem and Worthington and Parker City.
Rev. Jim Davis of the Pilgrim Holiness 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. Sean Slywczuk will play taps for the service. Clarion-Limestone High School marching band under the direction of Jenn Hubler will perform special musical selections.
After the service, a luncheon will be provided at the Strattanville fire hall. This luncheon is free to veterans.
