Tri-State-area communities will be remembering those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom this weekend by hosting ceremonies, services, parades and speakers.
Events in Franklin County and West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle include:
Berkeley County, W.Va.
In Martinsburg, W.Va., the traditional Memorial Day service at War Memorial Park along North Tennessee Avenue will begin at 10 a.m., according to Steve Catlett, executive director of the Martinsburg-Berkeley County Parks & Recreation Board.
Separate from the service to honor veterans, a free pancake breakfast will be held at the park's main pavilion by the Martinsburg Rotary Club to raise money for polio vaccine to support immunization campaigns in developing countries.
The breakfast will be held from 7 to 10 a.m., according to Catlett.
Jefferson County, W.Va.
May 30 — Bolivar and Harpers Ferry join together for their annual Memorial Day commemoration starting Monday at 9 a.m. with a parade beginning at the Harpers Ferry Post Office and moving onto Washington Street for about a mile before ending at Harpers Ferry Middle School.
Mayors Jim Addy of Harpers Ferry and Robert Hardy of Bolivar will ride the parade route together and place a wreath at the veterans' memorials in front of the middle school, Hardy said.
A brief speaking program featuring Cecil Tucker, commander of the Harpers Ferry/Bolivar District Veterans, will follow.
Afterward, free hot dogs and drinks will be available to all who attend, said J. Dixie Wiltshire, former commander of the local veterans' group.
Waynesboro, Pa.
May 30 — The parade in Waynesboro will start at 9 a.m. from the intersection of West Main Street and CV Avenue, according to Kathy Shaffer of the Combined Veterans Council.
The parade will travel east on Main Street, then turn onto Broad Street to end at Memorial Park. There, at approximately 10:15 a.m., a service will pay tribute to veterans.
Shaffer said this year's keynote speaker will be Col. Cheri Provancha from Letterkenny Army Depot. The service also will feature a gun salute, music, readings and prayers.
Two trees will be dedicated in memory of Sgt. Eddie Shaffer and Staff Sgt. Richard Tieman, both of whom were Franklin County soldiers killed in the current conflicts, Shaffer said.
"We're also doing a plaque dedication," she said.
Greencastle, Pa.
This week — Greencastle-Antrim Fly Your Flag Campaign is in full swing through Memorial Day to encourage people to show support for their country by flying the American flag. Greencastle's VFW Post 6319, American Legion Post 373 and Rescue Hose Co. initiated the campaign to bolster patriotism throughout the Greencastle-Antrim community prior to Memorial Day.
May 28 — A memorial service will be held for Master Sgt. Benjamin Bitner, 37, on Saturday at 2 p.m. The Greencastle native was killed in action in Afghanistan on April 23. The memorial service will be at the Rescue Hose Co.'s Special Events Center.
May 30 — Greencastle's annual Memorial Day Parade, sponsored by American Legion Post 373 and VFW Post 6319, forms at 9:30 a.m. at the State Farm Insurance office on South Allison Street, Greencastle, and begins marching at 10:30 a.m. The parade will proceed 1.6 miles along the parade route to the Cedar Hill Cemetery off of Pa. 16 for a Memorial Day service beginning at 11 a.m. Highlights of the ceremony will include laying of a memorial wreath at the flagpole by Boy Scout Troop 99 of Greencastle followed by a 21-gun salute and Taps. The guest speaker will be Col. Joseph R. Seliciano of the US Army War College in Carlisle.
Memorial Day activities scheduled in W.Va. and Pa.
Mercersburg, Pa.
May 30 — Mercersburg's 82nd Memorial Day Parade, sponsored by VFW Post 6241 and American Legion Post 517, will begin at 8:30 a.m. at the Mercersburg Elementary School on Park Street and proceed through Main Street to Fairview Cemetery for a Memorial Day service. Highlights of the service will include: invocation and benediction by the Rev. Matt Hoover of Trinity United Church of Christ, Lt. Colonel Douglas A. Boltuc will be the guest speaker at the service followed by a 21-day salute. In case of inclement weather, the service will be held at the Mercersburg Elementary School at 9 a.m.
Chambersburg, Pa.
May 30 — The Cumberland Valley School of Music Community Symphonic Band will host a Memorial Day concert at Chambersburg Municipal Park Memorial Bandshell at 7:30 p.m. Highlights for the concert include "America the Beautiful", "Stars and Stripes Forever," a medley featuring music from the Broadway musical "1776" and other patriotic themed songs. A special tribute to the U.S. armed services will honor each branch of military and the men and women who are serving, or have served, either in the United States or overseas. Admission is free. In the event of inclement weather, the concert will be held at Chambersburg Area Middle School on Stouffer Ave.
