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Monday, May 25, 2015

Memorial Day 2015

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A special section honoring our local service men and women - past and present.

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Page 1: Memorial Day 2015

Monday, May 25, 2015

Page 2: Memorial Day 2015

2 — The Bradford (Pa.) Era, Memorial Day, Monday, May 25, 2015

Though many people are quick to refer to Memorial Day as the unofficial begin-ning of summer, the day is much more than that. Initially known as Decoration Day, Memorial Day is a day to remember those military members who died in service of the country.

The origins of Memorial Day remain a topic of debate. In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson declared Waterloo, N.Y. as the offi-cial birthplace of Memorial Day. However, the roots of Memorial Day likely run much deeper, as researchers at Duke University note that during the Civil War, organized women's groups in the south had begun to decorate the graves of fallen soldiers.

Memorial Day as we know it today can likely be traced to Charleston, S.C., where teachers, missionaries and some members of the press gathered on May 1, 1865 to honor fallen soldiers. During the Civil War, captured Union soldiers were held at the Charleston Race Course and hundreds died during captivity. Upon their deaths, soldiers were buried in unmarked graves. When the Civil War ended, the May Day gathering was organized as a memorial to all the men who had died during captivity.

The burial ground was landscaped, and those freed as a result of the Civil War played an integral role in the event at the Charleston Race Course.

While the event in Charleston might have been the first Memorial Day-type celebration in the southern United States, General John A. Logan is often cited as inspiring similar events in the north. As commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of

the Republic, a veterans' organization for men who served in the Civil War, General Logan issued a proclamation just five days after the Charleston event that called for Decoration Day to be observed annually across the country. Logan preferred the event not be held on the anniversary of any particular battle, and thus the day was observed for the first time on May 30. Celebrating the day in May also was sig-nificant to event organizers because May is a month when flowers are in bloom, mak-ing it easier for observers of the holiday to place flowers on the graves of fallen soldiers.

In 1868, events were held at more than 180 cemeteries in 27 states, and those figures nearly doubled in 1869. By 1890, every northern state officially recognized Decoration Day as a state holiday. But southern states honored their dead on a different day until after World War I, when the holiday was changed to recog-nize Americans who died in any war and not just the Civil War. Nearly every state now celebrates Memorial Day, a name for the holiday first used in 1882, on the last Monday in May.

Page 3: Memorial Day 2015

The Bradford (Pa.) Era, Memorial Day, Monday, May 25, 2015 — 3

By ALEX DAVIS Era Reporter

[email protected]

Even after 70 years, John Bove of Bradford still gets nightmares.The spry 88-year-old U.S. Navy veteran, who has been selected as the parade

marshal for this year’s Memorial Day parade, remembers being surrounded by flames and burned bodies after a Japanese aircraft struck a ship he and many others were aboard in December 1944.

“That’s when it hit. And it hit,” Bove told The Era during a meeting in which organizers continued to plan for the upcoming Memorial Day parade and cer-emony.

Three months into his service is a time he will never forget. That December morning, the Air Force Special Corps aircraft bombarded the ship (LST 472) off Mindoro Island, Philippines.

As the explosion hit, Bove was below the deck getting shells needed for the ship.

The roar was deafening.“The sound didn’t go away from quite a while,” Bove said.And he smelled burned oil. Shards of shrapnel also pierced his body, which

today remain in his hip, face, hand. The massive explosion eventually knocked him out.In the midst of the chaos, he credits his life jacket for protecting him, with a lot

of cork stuffed inside.“We were taking pretty good water,” Bove said.Moments later, men hoisted him out from the gigantic hole using a rope.After the ordeal, he found himself in the hospital for about three months. On

Tuesday, he continued to sing the praises of the doctors and nurses for taking care of him.

An online historical record states the ship was likely hit by the Kamikaze on Dec. 15, 1944, and sunk on Dec. 21 of the same year. The Kamikaze was part of special corps in the Japanese air force.

On the ship, Bove primarily worked on maintenance, including painting. He had enlisted into the service at 17 years of age and was discharged when he was 18.

Back home, he graduated from Bradford Area High School, and for about 50 years, he worked for a carpenter's union.

Bove is a widower, whose wife Patricia died in March, and they had one daugh-ter, Mary Ann.

Meanwhile, Memorial Day officials have announced Elk County native D. Brent Pasquinelli as the speaker at the ceremony set at Veterans Square. Pasquinelli, who was raised in Toby Valley, graduated from St. Marys Area High School.

A U.S. Army veteran, he spent time in Vietnam in 1969-70. Pasquinelli served

Bove, Pasquinelli to head

Memorial Day activities

(See ACTIVITIES, Page 4)

100 S. Davis Street, Bradford, PA 16701 Phone (814) 362 - 4501 or (800)344-4656

Website: www.bwbradford.com Email: [email protected]

Bradford Inn

Thank you to all Thank you to all the veterans who’s the veterans who’s

brave sacrifice brave sacrifice allow us to enjoy allow us to enjoy

our freedom. our freedom.

Remebering O U R H E R O E S O U R H E R O E S

Page 4: Memorial Day 2015

4 — The Bradford (Pa.) Era, Memorial Day, Monday, May 25, 2015

with the 507th Engineer Battalion in support of the 82nd Airborne Division and 11th Armored Cavalry Division. He received the Purple Heart.

In addition, he served in West Germany with NATO forces in 1971 and was honorably dis-charged as a Specialist 5th Class.

He attended the Penn State-DuBois campus and was elected as the youngest supervisor in Pennsylvania, serving as the chairman of Fox Township for six years.

Pasquinelli also was appointed the first director for the Elk County Office of Aging and oversaw the development of 23 senior citizen centers in northwest Pennsylvania.

In 1978, he opened Airlandsea Travel in DuBois, which grew to the third largest travel agency con-sortium in the United States by 2005.

Today, he is the director of fundraising for U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson, R-Pa.

Pasquinelli has also been heavily involved in community activities, including as past chairman of the Centre County United Way, event director of the Special Olympics Summer Games, chair-man of Downtown State College, chairman of the Shaner Sports Complex, a founder of The Bryce Jordan Center at Penn State and a volunteer with Boy Scouts of America Juniata Council.

He also received the Good Scout Award in 1996, the Centre County United Way Award for Extraordinary Volunteerism in 1998 and the Penn State DuBois Alumni Society Outstanding Alumni Award in 2009.

Pasquinelli is married to Cynthia, and they have two daughters, Jacinda and Monica, and one son, David.

All told, Bradford’s Memorial Day parade will begin at 10:15 a.m., stepping off with veterans. A service will follow in Veterans Square.

Unlike in year’s past, organizer Val Meacham said no participant forms will be sent out. Instead, groups will be able to just come and be part of the parade, she said.

Bove, Pasquinelli to head Memorial Day activities(From ACTIVITIES, Page 3)

Bove Pasquinelli

This Memorial Day we salute the men and women who served to

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Page 5: Memorial Day 2015

The Bradford (Pa.) Era, Memorial Day, Monday, May 25, 2015 — 5

Help families of fallen and active service members this Memorial Day

Memorial Day is the day when Americans remember and honor military personnel who lost their lives while serving their country. Though its unofficial designation as the start of summer makes Memorial Day weekend a time of celebration for many people, the families of fallen and active service members often find Memorial Day weekend has its fair share of heartache as well.

Families of fallen service members who lost their lives defending their country tend to find solace in ceremonies honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice. But there are other ways civilian men and women can honor both active and fallen service members in their communities.

* Participate in community events that honor fallen service members. Many communities host Memorial Day parades to honor fallen soldiers. It can be comforting to the families of fallen soldiers to see fellow members of their community attend the parade and public memori-als. Such civilian support lets family members of fallen soldiers know that fellow members of their community appreciate and do not forget the sacrifices made by their loved ones.

* Include families of fallen and active service members in your weekend activities. Memorial Day weekend is a three-day weekend at the end of May, when the weather is warming up in much of the country. The weekend marks the return of backyard barbecues or pool parties, and such events are a great opportunity for civilians to invite the families of fallen service members over to share

some fun in the sun. Memorial Day can be an especially difficult time for the loved ones of fallen service mem-bers, and even the few hours of relief that a barbecue, pool party or picnic can provide can make a welcome respite from an otherwise difficult weekend.

* Make a charitable donation. Numerous charities exist to support soldiers and their families. Such charities exist to support the families of fallen soldiers, injured

soldiers or even those families struggling while a familymember is on active deployment. Men and women whowant to help can do so by making a charitable donation.And such donations do not have to be financial. The HeroMilesSM program, for example, allows men and womento donate their frequent flyer miles to wounded, injured orill service members or their families. This allows servicemembers who meet certain criteria to be given a round-trip airline ticket from a medical center to their home or toattend an authorized event. In addition, service memberscan give a round-trip ticket to enable family members orclose friends to visit them while they are receiving medi-cal treatment. Since its inception, the program, which isadministered by the nonprofit Fisher House Foundation,has provided more than 36,000airline tickets worth morethan $55 million. To learn more, visit www.fisherhouse.org. Numerous other charities exist to help service mem-bers and their families in a variety of ways.

* Organize events in your community. Every commu-nity benefits from the efforts of active service membersand the efforts of those service members who gave theirlives in service of their country. Men and women whowant to express their gratitude for such service can orga-nize events to do just that. Speak to local merchants andencourage them to offer discounts to military membersand their families throughout Memorial Day weekend. Ororganize an ice cream social for the children of active orfallen service members. Such events can be uplifting forthe families of service members while raising communityawareness of the important role our soldiers play.

Help families of fallen, active service members

Page 6: Memorial Day 2015

6 — The Bradford (Pa.) Era, Memorial Day, Monday, May 25, 2015

VFW, American Legion Post call Bradford homeBradford has two veterans organizations, the Lt. John C. Roche VFW Post #212 and

American Legion Post #108.Membership into the VFW is open to those who have received a campaign medal for

overseas service; served 30 consecutive or 60 non-consecutive days in Korea; or hostile fire or imminent danger pay.

The Bradford VFW holds several events, including VetJam 2015 that helps raise funds for the Pennsylvania Veterans Foundation, as well as the Winterfest.

Also, the Frances Sherman Auxiliary to VFW Post #212 runs the “Reba Y. Maben/William ‘Mr. Bill’ Runyan Scholarship” program, and it also hosts murder mystery dinner theaters. The Auxiliary allows people to become members who are wives, mothers, daughters, sisters, grandmothers, granddaughters and great-granddaughters of veterans who served during war.

Meanwhile, the American Legion is made up of the members who have served from World War I to present. Each year, the American Legion donates to several local organizations. Past recipients have included the

Friendship Table, McKean County SPCA, CARE for Children, the Salvation Army and Greater Bradford Senior Activity Center. The American Legion also donates to Operation Comfort Warrior, American Legion Legacy Fund, the National Emergency Fund and PA American Legion Housing for the homeless.

Page 7: Memorial Day 2015

The Bradford (Pa.) Era, Memorial Day, Monday, May 25, 2015 — 7

To many Americans, Memorial Day marks the unof-ficial beginning of summer. Though summer does not actually begin until later in June, Memorial Day week-end has become synonymous with backyard barbecues and trips to the beach.

Backyard barbecues, in particular, have become a staple of Memorial Day weekend and the focus of many people's festivities. This year, consider the following tips to make your Memorial Day barbecue safe and memorable.

* Place the grill in a safe spot. Before any guests arrive or any fires are lit, make sure the grill is safely located on flat ground. Ideally, the grill should not be on the grass and should be away from trees or shrubs and any other flammable materials. If you need lighter fluid to start a fire, promptly put the fluid back in storage, away from the grill, once the fire has been lit.

* Clean the grill. Memorial Day marks the opening of grilling season for many grillmasters. Make sure the grill has been thoroughly cleaned and that there are no leftover ashes from last season clogging the vents. Even if you thoroughly cleaned the grill at the end of last sea-son, give it a once-over with a soapy sponge at the start of the season to clean any cobwebs, or dirt and grime that might have accumulated over the winter.

* Stock up on charcoal. Falling short in the charcoal department is a backyard barbecue faux pas that can bring the festivities to a halt. Because the weather in late May can sometimes be unpredictable, make sure you have extra charcoal on hand should strong winds or colder temperatures make it difficult to build a

strong fire.* Spice things up. Why not use this year's Memorial

Day barbecue to add a little extra flavor to traditional barbecue fare? Soak some dried herbs like rosemary, bay leaves or oregano in water and add them to the grill. These flavorful herbs will make the food taste better, and the grill will likely emit a more pleasant fragrance as well.

* Prepare foods for guests with varying palates. Vegetarians and vegans love a good backyard barbecue just as much as their carnivorous friends and family members. Cook some vegetable kabobs and prepare some salads for guests who don't eat meat. Consider purchasing a smaller grill for veggies only, as vegetar-ians and vegans might not prefer to eat kabobs grilled on the same grill as meat.

* Keep the forks in the utensil drawer. Never use a fork to do a spatula's job. Poking foods on the grill with a fork allows the juices that make grilled foods so deli-cious to escape, resulting in drier fare that's not nearly as flavorful. Use a spatula or tongs to flip foods, includ-ing burgers, steaks, chicken, and even hot dogs.

* Make sure foods have completely defrosted before placing them on the grill. When cold meat is placed on the grill, it reduces the grill's temperature and prevents juices from getting seared in the food. So make sure all foods have been defrosted to ensure your foods are flavorful and the grill stays hot.

This year, welcome the unofficial start of summer with a successful Memorial Day barbecue in the back-yard with family, friends and great food.

Memorial Day is official kickoff to summer

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Page 8: Memorial Day 2015

8 — The Bradford (Pa.) Era, Memorial Day, Monday, May 25, 2015

(StatePoint) Memorial Day heralds the start of grilling season. Perfect your fireside techniques and enhance outdoor dining by learning how to pair wine with grilled dishes.

“The right wine makes every meal better, especially with meals cooked on the grill,” says Michael Trujillo, President and Director of Winemaking at Sequoia Grove Winery.

To help you find the perfect pairing, Trujillo is sharing a few basic tips:

• Pair the right varietal to the right dish; Chardonnay with grilled veg-etables or fruit; and Cabernet Sauvignon for grill-roasted larger cuts.

• Select wines from trusted producers made in a balanced style. Wines that are too ripe, sweet, tannic or alcoholic will usually clash with grilled foods. At Sequoia Grove Winery, Michael Trujillo’s winemaking style emphasizes varietal expression, finesse and balance.

• Use the right seasoning. When making rubs for steak, be liberal with salt and cut out the sugar, which doesn’t pair well with hearty reds.

• This Memorial Day and beyond, make every grilled meal special with the perfect food and wine pairings. For a great pairing with Cabernet Sauvignon, follow this steak recipe with a rouge beurre sauce. Made from a Cabernet Sauvignon reduction, the rouge beurre sauce is high in acidity and low in sugar, making it the perfect accompaniment for a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon.

Ingredients• 2 ribeye steaks (21 days dry age prime)• 15-20 garlic cloves• Peanut oil• 8 ounces of dry red wine (Sequoia Grove Cabernet Sauvignon)• 3 tablespoons shallots, finely minced• 5 tablespoons, cold butter• Salt and pepper

Seasoning• Prep steaks two days before cooking. Season with salt and very coarse

black pepper. Crush garlic cloves and cover both sides. Place steaks in a shallow straight-sided container and coat all sides with peanut oil; cover and refrigerate.

• Remove steaks and rest at room temperature; at least 45 minutes. Discard all garlic (burnt garlic will result in a bitter sauce.) Re-season with salt and pepper.

Cooking• Use a heavy-duty stainless fry pan. The pan should be very hot; the

goal is a dark brown crust, not black or burnt. Cooking time can vary, depending on thickness, but general timing is four minutes on each side for rare, five minutes for medium-rare and six minutes for medium.

• When cooked to your liking, remove from heat and let meat rest on a plate to retain natural juices.

Beurre Rouge Sauce• Use the same pan to prepare the sauce. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of

rendered fat. Turn heat to low and add the shallots, stirring until translucent and tender. With the heat on high, deglaze the pan with 8 ounces of Sequoia Grove Cabernet Sauvignon. Continue stirring until liquid is reduced to 1 tablespoon, shaking the pan back and forth.

• Reduce the heat to low and add very cold butter, one tablespoon at a time until all the butter is incorporated. Shake the pan back and forth to melt the butter into the reduced wine and shallot mixture. It’s critical the sauce does not boil.

• Turn the heat off; and keep sauce warm. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

• Serve quickly after sauce is prepared. Spoon sauce over steak and serve with Sequoia Grove Cabernet Sauvignon.

Food, wine pairing tips for your Memorial Day party

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Page 9: Memorial Day 2015

The Bradford (Pa.) Era, Memorial Day, Monday, May 25, 2015 — 9

Men and women serving in the military make considerable sacrifices in defense of the United States and its citizens. Such sacrifices can eas-ily be taken for granted by those with no friends or family members serving in the military, but it's important for all Americans to recognize the efforts of both active and veteran servicemen and women.

Honoring active military members and veter-ans does not have to be an elaborate undertaking. Service members and their families often cherish even the simplest of gestures, and the following are a handful of ways grateful men and women can show their appreciation to active and retired members of the military.

* Help a neighbor who's on active duty. Active duty service members can be away from their families for long periods of time, and their absence can make things difficult for their fami-lies. Spouses of deployed service members are typically left to manage a household on their own for months at a time. Neighbors can show their appreciation by helping with some chores around the house. Offer to mow a neighbor's lawn or drive a neighbor's kids to school. Such gestures might seem small, but they can go a long way toward alleviating some of the stress that spouses of deployed service members deal with on a daily basis.

* Support the Wounded Warrior Project. Many service members sustain physical injuries while deployed. The Wounded Warrior Project works

to raise awareness and enlist the public's help to address the needs of injured service members. Men and women who want to show their appre-ciation to injured service members can work with the Wounded Warrior Project by volunteering at project-sponsored events or hosting fundraising events such as golf tournaments or community picnics. More information about working with the Wounded

Warrior Project is available at www.wounded-

warriorproject.org.* Write a letter of appreciation. One of the

simplest ways to show your support for servicemembers is to write them a letter expressing thatappreciation. If a friends, relatives or neighborsare active service members or veterans, sit downand write a letter telling them how much youappreciate their sacrifice in service of their coun-try, and encourage youngsters to do the same. Ifyou don't know any members of the military, youcan work with A Million Thanks (www.amillion-thanks.org), a year-round campaign that encour-ages Americans to write letters or emails or sendcards or prayers to U.S. military personnel, pastand present to thank them for their sacrifices,dedication and service.

* Exercise your right to vote. One of the bestways to honor servicemen and women is to avoidtaking the rights they so bravely defend forgranted. Members of the military routinely puttheir lives on the line so Americans can enjoyfreedoms that many people across the globe can-not. Voting is one such freedom, so Americansshould make it a point to vote every ElectionDayand teach their kids about the responsibility eachAmerican has to vote and take an interest intheir government. Speak with active and veteranmembers of the military about their thoughts onproposed legislation and their opinions on howto improve that legislation, taking those opinionsinto consideration before casting your vote.

How to honor servicemen and women

Today, Today, We honor the memories of the Brave American We honor the memories of the Brave American Soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice for Soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice for this country. Their courage, commitment, and this country. Their courage, commitment, and selflessness will always be remembered with gratitude. selflessness will always be remembered with gratitude. We will never forget that freedom is not free. We will never forget that freedom is not free.

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Page 10: Memorial Day 2015

10 — The Bradford (Pa.) Era, Memorial Day, Monday, May 25, 2015

By AMANDA NICHOLS Era Reporter

[email protected]

As downtown Bradford continues to be spruced up for summer, one may notice the many new American flags lining Main Street.

A total of 36 flags were installed along the road in time for Memorial Day.

Main Street Manager Anita Dolan told The Era that Kiwanis Aktion Club purchased 24 of the flags and the City of Bradford bought the other 12, replacing flags that had been up for about five years and had become weathered and shabby.

“We had to take some down because they get torn and things like that, so I contacted the Kiwanis Aktion Club to see if they were interested in helping us out,” Dolan said. “We definitely wanted the new flags to be up before Memorial Day, that’s always the goal.

“We are keeping some of the old ones that are in decent shape, those in the shade didn’t fade as much, and they will be used as replacements as needed. We had them for about five years — I think was actually a pretty good lifespan for what they go through,” she noted.

Dolan said the new flags are 3-by-5 feet in size, and fit nicely with the large light poles that line Main Street. The flags hang from Memorial Day

through Veterans Day and are taken down throughout the winter.

“It looks so nice on Memorial Day to have new flags hung, especially with our ongoing clean-up at Veterans Square,” she commented. “We had two flower beds done last week, totally cleared out the layers of old mulch, the (city) fire department and parks department helped, and we’ve repaired some brickwork, and we’re pur-chasing new rose bushes through Chamber of Commerce as well.”

The gazebo was repainted just last year, but Dolan said some touch-up painting will be done to the floor where it has been scuffed up from use since then.

Wright’s Monumental cleaned up some of the stone markers, and new benches will be installed as soon as the plaques are ready, according to Dolan. “We tried to have them done in time for Memorial Day but it just didn’t work out,” she explained.

The Memorial Day parade will go from 10:15 to 11 a.m. today, with parade par-ticipants lining up between 9:30 and 10:15 a.m. The ceremony at Veterans Square will be held from 11 a.m. to noon.

Kiwanis Aktion Club, city buy new flags for Main Street

Era file photo by Amanda Nichols New flags line Main Street and Veterans Square just in time for Memorial Day. Kiwanis Aktion Club and the City of Bradford part-nered to purchase a total of 36 flags to adorn downtown through Veterans Day, when they’re taken down to save them from winter damage.

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Page 11: Memorial Day 2015

The Bradford (Pa.) Era, Memorial Day, Monday, May 25, 2015 — 11

John McCrae, 1872 - 1918

In Flanders fields the poppies blowBetween the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place, and in the sky, The larks, still bravely singing, fly, Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead; short days agoWe lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lieIn Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe! To you from failing hands we throwThe torch; be yours to hold it high!

If ye break faith with us who dieWe shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

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Page 12: Memorial Day 2015

12 — The Bradford (Pa.) Era, Memorial Day, Monday, May 25, 2015

By RUTH BOGDANEra Reporter

[email protected]

One cannot help but feel somber respect for those buried amongst the rows of flags. The small banners, symbols of sacrifice to country, quietly ripple in the wind, marking the gravesites of local servicemen and women.

Each spring, local veterans’ groups take special care to honor their own departed members by placing an American flag at each of the ever-increasing number of veteran graves. This, of course, is in addition to ceremonies to mark occasions like Memorial Day and Veterans Day.

In general, the flags go up for Memorial Day and are taken down around Veterans Day before the snow comes.

McKean County sets aside money to purchase each flag, as well as to maintain each grave, said Matt Windsor, direc-tor of Veterans Services in McKean County. He explained that as director, he is in charge of seeing that flags are pur-chased and dispersed to each organization throughout the county that places flags in cemeteries.

Windsor said the county handed out about 8,560 flags in 2013. He added an average of about 150 veterans pass away each year.

The county also budgets about $2 a year for care to each gravesite, and each year Windsor sends checks to cemeter-ies throughout the county to compensate them for tasks such as mowing.

At “about 1,500 veterans and growing,” the local chap-ter of Disabled American Veterans is in charge of decorat-ing the McKean County cemetery with the greatest number

of veterans — McKean Memorial Cemetery in Lafayette Township.

“The least that we can do is go up and honor them,” said Gary Fuller, the DAV’s adjutant.

Fuller said the group will probably go to the cemetery around Nov. 15 to remove the flags to accommodate for people who have work or school. This year, as in most years, Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts will help remove the flags from McKean Memorial Park. Fuller said in the past, he’s asked the county for help from people who have to perform community service hours, but he said he won’t need to this year.

Fuller explained the county provides markers that show what war and what dates a serviceman or woman served. Those markers stay at the gravesites all year.

The DAV makes “sure that everybody has a flag and all the new graves are found.” Once the grave of a new veteran is found and indicated with a marker, they are much easier to find in following years. The cemetery’s groundskeepers help the group keep track of new graves, which Fuller said can take hours to find.

“We’ve been very lucky to have the groundskeepers we have right now,” said Fuller. “They keep us pretty much up to date.”

In Bradford City, American Legion Post #108 and Lt. John C. Roche VFW Post #212 take care of honoring deceased local veterans.

Matt Wilber, commander of Lt. John C. Roche Post #212, said his organization is in charge of placing flags in Willow Dale and Oak Hill cemeteries.

“Basically, we coordinate with youngsters around the

area,” Wilber explained. This includes Boy Scouts andgrade school children from Bradford Area School District.He said one of the local teachers even uses the project aspart of the curriculum.

Wilber said members of the Post #212 go with the stu-dents and they work together to place the flags. “It’s greatbecause most of our guys are getting very old,” said Wilber.“Those little kids can run up and down those hills. They doa good job.”

Meanwhile, Pete O’Donohoe, commander of AmericanLegion Post #108, said students at St. Bernard Elementary/Middle School help Legion members put flags up at St.Bernard Cemetery. They usually do this a couple of daysbefore Memorial Day.

O’Donohoe explained, “The flags are to be displayedfrom the 30th of May (Memorial Day) to the 11th ofNovember each year at the cemetery gravesides of all vet-erans. The American flag and all the service flags are rep-resentative of all the Armed Forces.” He said the flags areflown when service bands play or a new building is beingdedicated. He added, “The flag plays an important part of aveteran’s burial. It is placed over the coffin until the end ofceremonies, when it is presented to the next of kin.”

When the flags placed on gravesites at Memorial Dayare ready to come down, St. Bernard Cemetery caretakersremove them and stack them up, and the Legion takes themto Port Allegany to be burned, according to O’Donohoe.

O’Donohoe explained there is a plot of ground at theMoose Lodge of Port Allegany Park, which is near the PortAllegany VFW/Legion, that is dedicated to holding flag-burning ceremonies.

Somber ceremony remembers those who served

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Happy Memorial

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