Published Friday, May 28, 1999

MERCER COUNTY

`Communities pay tribute to veterans`

For many people, Monday means a day off work, barbecues and the unofficial start of summer fun.

But Memorial Day is more than that. It is a holiday set aside to remember the men and women who paid the ultimate price for freedom.

To mark the day, the American flag is to be flown at half staff until noon and then raised to the top of the pole.

Local veterans groups have scheduled the following Memorial Day activities:

Brookfield

Veterans of Foreign Wars, Masury Post 8860, will host a parade Monday.

Units will assemble at 9:30 a.m. Monday at Brookfield Middle School. At 10 a.m. the parade will march to the township cemetery for a service and program.

Speaker will be Capt. Sharon Johnson of the 910th Airlift Wing of the Air Force's Youngstown-Warren Reserve Base.

Farrell-Wheatland

Farrell-Wheatland War Memorial Committee will hold a parade and ceremony Monday.

The parade forms at 9 a.m. at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5286, Idaho Street and Indiana Avenue, Farrell. Units march at 9:30 on Indiana and Roemer Boulevard for a ceremony at the war memorial at Roemer and Mercer Avenue.

Patricia S. Potter of Jamestown, state surgeon of the Department of Pennsylvania Veterans of Foreign Wars, will be guest speaker.

Honored guests Lt. Col. David Roberts, executive officer of the 475th Quartermaster Group, Farrell, and Barbara Mills, auxiliary president of the Wheatland American Legion, Post 432, also will attend.

The Rev. Wilbert G. Hadden, pastor of Greater Mount Zion Church of God in Christ, Farrell, will offer the invocation and the Rev. Donald Berdis, pastor of Our Lady of Fatima Church, Farrell, will deliver the benediction.

In case of inclement weather, the ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. in Farrell High School auditorium.

Greenville-Hempfield Township

Greenville Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3374, Hempfield Township, is hosting a parade Monday.

It will begin at 9 a.m. in front of Greenville municipal building. Units will pause for a ceremony at American Legion Post 160, where Jeremy McCullough, a Commodore Perry High School senior, will recite General Logan's Order. On the bridge on College Avenue, units will pause again for a wreath-tossing ceremony in honor of those lost at sea.

Events will conclude with a Boy Scouts ceremony in Shenango Valley Cemetery, where Heather Vosler, a senior at Commodore Perry High School, will recite the Gettysburg Address, to honor Civil War veterans.

Grove City

Grove City Veterans Council is hosting a service at 2:30 p.m. Sunday in Crestview Memorial Park's Veterans Memorial Gardens.

Lt. Colonel Steven T. Stevens will be principal speaker.

A reception for participants and attendees will be hosted after the service by John R. Huff American Legion Post 220, South Broad Street.

Hermitage

Hickory Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6166 is sponsoring a parade at 10 a.m. Monday.

Units will proceed along East State Street from North Hermitage Road to Hillcrest Memorial Park for a service in the cemetery.

Jackson Center

A program will be held at 11 a.m. Monday in Jackson Center Fire Hall, beginning with the tolling of the bell at the Presbyterian church.

Boy Scouts will conduct a flag ceremony in the town park. Mercer County Commissioner Olivia M. Lazor will speak.

Jamestown

The parade will start at 10 a.m. from the Jamestown borough building and will stop at a bridge over the Shenango River, where Navy dead will be honored. The parade will then proceed to Park Lawn Cemetery for a ceremony.

At the ceremony, Jennifer Conway, winner of the local Veterans of Foreign Wars Voice of Democracy contest, will read her winning essay.

Mercer

The parade will start at 9 a.m. at the Mercer Elementary School and proceed to the courthouse bandstand, where state Sen. Robert D. Robbins, Salem Township, R-50th District, will speak.

The parade will proceed on South Pitt Street to Mercer Citizens Cemetery, where Matt Campbell, a senior at Mercer Area High School, will recite General Logan's Order, and Andy Hogue, a local senior who has been accepted into United States Military Academy West Point N.Y., will recite the Gettysburg Address. Frank Reeher, commander of Mercer American Legion, will read his poem.

New Wilmington

The Sons of the American Revolution will dedicate a memorial plaque at 11 a.m. Saturday at the grave of Hugh Means in Fair Oaks Cemetery, state Route 208 east of New Wilmington.

Means, an early resident of the New Wilmington area, served in a detachment known as "The Pennsylvania Rangers."

New Wilmington American Legion Post 728 will sponsor a service at 11 a.m. Monday at Neshannock Presbyterian Church.

The Rev. James E. Wigley, local retired minister, will deliver the message. Boy Scout William Stone III will lead the pledge of allegiance to the flag. Wilmington Area Middle School Marching Band will perform.

Pulaski

A ceremony will be held at noon Sunday at the post office, followed by a ceremony at the cemetery.

Salem Township

A program will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday at Stevenson Cemetery.

Maj. Duane Hart, Youngstown Air Force base, will be guest speaker. Also participating will be VFW Post 3374, Boy Scout Troop 55, and Commodore Perry Brass Ensemble.

Sharon

American Legion Post 299, Catholic War Veterans Post 1446, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1338 and their auxiliaries are hosting a parade at 11 a.m. Monday. Units will march from Case Avenue to Oakland Cemetery for a ceremony.

Four marching bands will participate along with members of Army and National Guard reserve units, fraternal organizations and troops of Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts and Brownies.

The parade will include a fly over by Air Force Capt. Shen Stover, a West Middlesex native stationed at Tinker AFB, Okla., piloting a C-130 transport.

William Clepper, past commander of the American Legion and VFW posts, will speak.

Sharspville

The American Legion Post 162 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6404 parade will form at Walnut Street and in the Sharpsville plaza in the vicinity of the monument at 9 a.m. Monday.

The flag will be raised at about 9:30 a.m. The parade will then move to Riverside Cemetery.

Food and refreshments will be served afterwards at the VFW post on Walnut Street.

Transfer-Fredonia

Services and honor roll will be held at 8 a.m. Monday at Reynolds Veterans of Foreign Wars.

The parade will start at 8:45 a.m. at the Transfer Little League ball fields and proceed to Transfer Cemetery, where Rev. Steven Malanowski, a Transfer pastor, will speak.

At about 10:30 a.m., the Reynolds VFW will join Fredonia American Legion for a parade starting near Fredonia's town square and concluding at Mill Bank Cemetery. Speaker will be Earl Dykes of Fredonia American Legion post 919.

West Middlesex

James Stoner Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6233 Shenango Township West Middlesex, hosts a parade that begins at 10:30 a.m. Monday.

Units will form at 10 a.m. and move to Haywood Cemetery for a ceremony, pausing for Blue Star Mothers to lay a wreath at the memorial at the borough building.

Erie

A Memorial Day Rally will be 3 p.m. Sunday at Erie Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 135 E. 38th St.

Veterans and supporters will carry hand-painted placards protesting cuts in veterans health care funding.

Andrew Kistler, Disabled American Veterans' national commander, will attend.

Butler County

A Memorial Day Rally will be 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday at Butler Veterans Administration Medical Center.

The event is being held to persuade lawmakers to put enough money in the federal budget to prevent cuts in Department of Veterans Affairs health care services.

VA health care workers will attend along with hospital patients and other veterans.

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Updated May 28, 1999
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