Memorial Day services set for county
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Memorial Day is Monday, May 26, and a number of observances are planned around Ringgold County.
Mount Ayr – American Legion Post 172
The Mount Ayr American Legion Post 172 and Sons of the American Legion will honor our fallen this Memorial Day by assembling the Avenue of Flags and hosting a ceremony at the Legion building.
Plans for the weekend include marking holes for the flags at Rose Hill Cemetery on Thursday, May 22, beginning at 9 a.m.
Fifth grade students from Mount Ayr Elementary will place small flags markers on graves at 10:00 a.m. , after which they will be treated to ice cream compliments of the Legion.
On Friday, May 23, flag poles will be placed in marked holes at 5:00 p.m. The public is welcomed to come out and help. Over 337 flags are on display for the week-end once a year,
On Saturday, May 24, the flags will be put onto the poles, and markers will be set. Those who would like to help should plan to meet at the cemetery at 8 a.m.
After the flags have been placed, the Legion will provide a biscuits and gravy breakfast for those who helped.
On Memorial Day, Monday, May 26, the ceremonies will start at 9:00 a.m. at the Benton Cemetery, weather permitting.
The color guard will then move to the “ Grave of the Unknown,” at the Rose Hill Cemetery.
At 11:00 a.m. Pastor Al Rusk will speak and a luncheon will follow with a free will offering. Sue Trullinger and Kathleen and Larry White will perform the National Anthem. Nick Triggs will perform Taps.
At 3:00 p.m. the poles and flags will be taken down and stored. The Boy Scouts will also remove the marker flags with an ice cream treat to follow.
The Legion would like to thank John Peters, who is in charge of the weekend.
Anyone wishing to purchase a flag and pole for a veteran who has passed may contact John.
Again we welcome anyone to come out and help, and a thank you to the future leaders in the Mount Ayr Scouts, the Legion Auxiliary, and Sons of American Legion.
Donation boxes have been placed at the east and west gates at the cemetery. Donations are so very important to continue the Avenue of Flags tradition. Any damaged flags or poles must be replaced.
Diagonal – American Legion Post 395
The Legion will conduct their traditional Memorial Day services on Monday, May 26.
The Legion color guard will meet at the Community Building at 7:30 a.m. prior to traveling to Mortimer Cemetery for an 8:30 a.m. service. From there, the Legion will move to Bethel Cemetery at 9 a.m., Marshalltown Cemetery at 9:30 a.m., Bohemian Cemetery at 10 a.m. and Knowlton Cemetery at 10:30 a.m.
The morning will conclude at the Diagonal Cemetery, where Pastor Rodney Glazebrook will provide a short service at 11:00 a.m.
The ceremony will include a special tribute to the “Gold Star” family of Ronald Allen Yashack of Diagonal.
“Gold Star” families are families who have had an active-duty service member killed in the line of duty while serving his or her family.
Private First Class Yashack was killed in South Vietnam on May 24, 1969. He is buried in the Diagonal Cemetery, memorialized on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, and still missed by his “Gold Star” family. (At the time of his death, only mothers were recognized as being “Gold Star” recipients, but the whole family is affected and suffers the loss.)
Terry (Morrow) Giles is a member of the American Legion in Wisconsin, where she lives. Giles is a 1965 graduate of Diagonal High School and grew up across the street from the Yashack family.
She will be in the Diagonal area celebrating with her Class of 1965 but would also like to take the opportunity to honor the Yashack family, especially Ronnie’s mother Marge Yashack, by putting a Gold Star flag on her grave during the Memorial Day program.
The community is invited to a Memorial Day luncheon at the Diagonal Community Building between 11:30 -1:00 p.m. following the Memorial Day activities.
Clearfield – American Legion Woodside Post 97
Saturday, May 24 – 8 a.m. – meet at the Clearfield Cemetery to put up the Avenue of Flags and place a flag and cross on each Veteran’s grave. In the event of rain, we will begin when the rain stops.
Monday, May 26 – 9:30 a.m. – Memorial Day Program in the Lion’s Hall, program by Rev Al Rusk, Legion’s Chaplin. Following the program, we will proceed to the cemetery, weather permitting, for a short program. Dwayne Cason will be honored this year as the last deceased Veteran buried (unless another veteran is buried before Memorial Day).
Monday, May 26 – 2 p.m. – meet at the cemetery to take down the Avenue of Flags and remove the decorations from Veteran’s graves. In the event of rain, flags and crosses will be removed from Veteran’s graves as soon as the rain stops; Avenue of Flags must remain up until the flags dry.
Woodside Post cannot properly pay respect to our deceased Veterans without the help of the public. You are very much appreciated and needed.
Ellston – The Emmett Liles American Legion Post 541
Post 541 and volunteers will put up flags beginning at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 22.
The Post 541 color guard will hold Memorial Day services at Oliver Cemetery beginning at 9:30 a.m.
The guard will move to the Tingley Cemetery at 10:15 a.m.
At 11:00 a.m., services will conclude at the Ellston Cemetery.
Flags will be removed on Tuesday, May 27.
