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Mid-Ohio Valley events to honor Memorial Day

By Wayne Towner 6 min read

MARIETTA -- Ask an Armed Forces veteran what the purpose of Monday is and they'll remind you, it's not barbecue, water features or them.

"The purpose is to honor our fallen men and women that never got to come back and live their lives after military service," said Damien Huck, Lowell's American Legion Post 750 commander.

The parades, flags, services and words of the weekend are in honor of those who made the ultimate sacrifice, he said, and marching in a parade is to honor them.

"We're just the curators to make sure people remember," concluded Huck.

And remembrance will kick off first today in Marietta, in Mound Cemetery, at 9:30 a.m. with a service for the soldiers of the American Revolution.

"This event, when it was started was intended to be the initial event of Memorial Weekend," said Sons of the American Revolution member Tony Durm.

He shared how girls in BSA Troop 1207 and Pack 207 helped replace worn and weathered flags with new ones at Mound Cemetery on Tuesday.

"The girls were so pensive last night, 'don't let it touch the ground, don't let it touch the ground,' they kept saying as they marched through," described Durm, who also serves as a scouting mentor. "It's definitely something that's ingrained in scouts."

Then, full honors organized by differing veterans organizations, funeral homes and service groups will continue Saturday, Sunday and Monday across the Mid-Ohio Valley.

* In Whipple on Sunday, from 1-4 p.m. a Disabled American Veterans cookout for veterans families will be held with live music at 835 DAV Road, Whipple. The event is open to the public.

Then Monday, parades and services will take place across Washington County:

"We're having our normal parade this year which starts roughly at 10 a.m. and will have a speaker at Greenlawn Cemetery after," described Huck of the Lowell recognition.

The group will also visit the village's remaining cemeteries.

* In Belpre, the annual Memorial Day program will be 11 a.m. Monday at Leavitt Funeral Home in Belpre, at the flagpole and veterans memorial dedicated in 2007 by the funeral home to veterans who have received services there.

The event is organized by Leavitt Funeral Home and the Belpre Veterans Association. The program will feature speakers, a rifle salute and the laying of a wreath and the playing of "Taps" during the ceremony. Light refreshments will be served at the funeral home.

* The Beverly-Waterford parade is also scheduled to return Monday at 8:45 a.m. with lineup at Fort Frye High School and services at Beverly Cemetery, Waterford Bridge and Waterford Cemetery. The parade is sponsored by the American Legion Post 389.

* In Marietta, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5108 are again sponsoring the early morning parade from Harmar Elementary School to Harmar Cemetery with lineup at 7:30 a.m., the parade will start at 8 a.m. Then at 9 a.m. assembly for a downtown Marietta parade sponsored by American Legion Post 64, will begin at the corner of Front and Putnam streets, with the parade beginning its trek at 10 a.m. up Putnam to Fifth, north to Mound Cemetery.

"We'll stop there for a prayer," said Veterans Service Officer Tom Kukulka. "Then will continue on Fifth up to take a right on Wooster and hear the speakers at the base of Oak Grove Cemetery where we read the veterans names who have died in the last year."

Following lunch events as is tradition at both posts in Marietta are to host before reconvening veterans at the Veterans Service Office on Pike Street for a 4 p.m. renaming and dedication ceremony in honor of former Veterans Service Officer Chad Wright who died on May 28, 2020.

Several events will be held in Wood and Jackson counties Saturday through Monday.

SATURDAY

* In Parkersburg, Sunset Memory Gardens on West Virginia 95 in south Parkersburg will hold a modified version of its annual Memorial Day Ceremony.

Instead of speakers, this year's program will be at 10 a.m. Saturday with a rifle salute, flag folding ceremony and a balloon release. From Saturday through Monday, the cemetery's Avenue of Flags will be on display and Disabled American Veterans Chapter 32 will be conducting a food drive at the cemetery to benefit area veterans.

SUNDAY

* In Ravenswood, a ceremony will be 2 p.m. Sunday at Ravenswood Cemetery. It will feature speakers and county and city officials along with representatives from law enforcement agencies and local veterans groups as special guests at the ceremony.

MONDAY

* In Parkersburg, American Legion Post 15 will begin its day with a ceremony at 9 a.m. Monday at the post headquarters at 2505 Ohio Ave. in the traffic circle.

A full Memorial Day service organized by Post 15 will follow at 10 a.m. Monday at City Park with posting of the colors, speakers, "Taps," a rifle salute and the laying of a wreath. The names of area veterans who have died since the last Memorial Day will be read.

* In Williamstown, American Legion Post 159 will be gathering at Tomlinson Park at 9 a.m. Monday for the annual parade. The parade will depart at 9:30 a.m. to the Riverview Cemetery on Waverly Road where the community will honor the deceased veterans by laying of the wreath by the Ladies Auxiliary and a rifle salute by the Color Guard along with "Taps." Mayor Paul Jordan will be the guest speaker.

After the cemetery, the local deceased Legion veterans will be honored and remembered in the Post Everlasting. There will be a flag disposal ceremony by each of the Legion Family organizations followed by the Pride of Williamstown WHS Marching Band with a couple patriotic hymns. Lunch will be served.

"The American Legion is looking forward to getting back to normal," said Post 159 Adjutant Doug Meeks. "We will still follow federal CDC guidelines and guidelines set forth by Gov. Jim Justice but still recognize that it's time to get back to normal by doing it safely. We've all lost family and friends and missed our brothers and sisters in the American Legion. Please keep yourself safe. In the American Legion a mask will not keep us from pursuing our mission of service to communities, states, and nation," he said.

* In Ripley, the Jackson County Veterans Memorial Day Service will be 11 a.m. Monday on the Jackson County Courthouse lawn. The event is hosted by American Legion Post 107. There will be speakers, the posting of the colors, the national anthem, a rifle ceremony, wreath-laying and other activities.

Janelle Patterson may be reached at jpatterson@mariettatimes.com.

Wayne Towner may be reached at wtowner@newsandsentinel.com.

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