Published: May 23, 2008 11:22 pm      

Communities plan variety of Memorial Day events

Numerous Memorial Day ceremonies are planned this weekend throughout the region. An event is planned today in Geistown, and others are scheduled Monday.

Those that have been reported to The Tribune-Democrat include:

Ashville

Activities organized by John Lipple Post 4315, Veterans of Foreign Wars, will begin at 8 a.m. Monday with a parade through Ashville. A highlight of each year’s parade is the appearance of the McConnell Band, made up of members of the McConnell family.

A ceremony will be held afterward at the Lipple post. The speaker will be Jack Babich, a 28-year veteran of the Navy and Naval Reserve who has served in the Middle East four times since Sept. 11, 2001. His most recent tour of duty was in 2006-07 with Multi-National Force-Iraq, said Bob Eyer, a member of Lipple post and a Vietnam War veteran.

After the program, a military Mass will be held at St. Thomas Catholic Church, followed by a ceremony at the church cemetery at the grave of the last area veteran to die before Memorial Day.

Ceremonies will be held at five cemeteries in communities surrounding Ashville where veterans are buried.

A flag raising will be held at the Dysart War Monument.

Franklin

Conemaugh-Franklin American Legion Post 633 and Sgt. Michael Strank VFW Post 5107 at Franklin will hold events Monday.

A parade will form at 10:30 a.m. at the Franklin Loop and move through Franklin to East Conemaugh Memorial Park, where a ceremony will take place, said Charles Cannin, commander of Post 5107.

Geistown

The Ancient Order of Hibernians will place a wreath in the Circle of Irish Priests at 10 a.m. today atSt. John’s Cemetery in Geistown.

The service is to honor priests who are buried there.

Hollsopple

Hollsopple VFW Post 8861 will conduct a service at 11 a.m. Monday at Veterans Memorial Park in Benson Borough.

Principal speaker will be Patricia Crew of Windber. Her husband, Air Force Maj. James Crew of Windber, has been listed as missing in action since his jet was shot down over North Vietnam on Nov. 10, 1967.

Also speaking will be stateRep. Tom Yewcic, D-Jackson Township, and Kenneth Domonkos and Megan Maurer, students at Conemaugh Township Area High School.

Hornerstown

A commemorative service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday at Sandyvale Memorial Botanical Gardens at Sandyvale Cemetery off Hickory Street in Johnstown’s Hornerstown section.

Army Maj. James White Jr., a 1989 graduate of Forest Hills High School, will be the guest speaker. An Army officer for 15 years, he is stationed at the Pentagon, where he is deputy chief of staff G-2, intelligence.

Among other participants will be Col. Jacob Campbell Camp No. 14 of The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War and its Mary R. Campbell Auxiliary, with members of both groups appearing in period dress.

Other participants will be Conemaugh Valley Veterans, Marine Veterans Association and Boy and Girl Scout troops.

Lambertsville

Lambertsville Cemetery Association will hold its 140th consecutive Memorial Day service at 2:30 p.m. Monday at Lambertsville Cemetery.

The service will include threecomponents that have been in place for 63 years, said cemetery associa-tion spokesman Robert Gohn ofSomerset.

Those components are the Shanksville-Stonycreek High School band, participation of eighth-grade American Legion award recipients from the high school and graveside rites by Shanksville American Legion.

Clarissa Maust and Nicholas Blessel are this year’s American Legion award recipients.

Richland Township

A repaired statue of a soldier carrying a child will be unveiled and rededicated during the East Hills Kiwanis Club’s service at 1 p.m. Monday.

The service will take place in Kiwanis Memorial Park to Veterans on Theatre Drive.

Westmont

A bicycle contest will be part of activities beginning at 7:30 a.m. Monday at Westmont Middle School.

A parade will follow at 8:30 a.m. along Luzerne Street.

The ceremony will be held at 9 a.m. at the Millcreek Road entrance to Grandview Cemetery. Rear Admiral Alan Baker, deputy chief of chap-lains for the Navy, will be the guest speaker.

The events are sponsored by Westmont Borough.

Windber

Army Reserve Lt. Col. Kevin Walker, who in civilian life is chief counsel for the National Drug Intelligence Center in Johnstown, will be the principal speaker at a service Monday at Veterans Park.

Walker spent the past year serving as chief of U.S. military justice in Iraq, operating from Baghdad.

The service will be held immediately following a parade that will form at 9:30 a.m. at Windber American Legion Post 137 at 312 14th St.

Also at the service, Tom Geiger will speak about the park.

Wreaths will be placed by Nick Pascovich, commander of Post 137, and Perry Mock, commander of Windber VFW Post 4795.

Windber Area High School band will play “The Star-Spangled Banner” and taps. Windber Ritual Team will present a rifle salute.