Color Guard

As members of the Boonsboro High School Indoor Guard spin their flags at practice and in competition, they can be proud to say that they made the flags themselves. After the fall marching band season drew to a close on Nov. 13, the 23 members of the BHS marching color guard had nothing to do for two months until the end of the semester. While marching band members began to rehearse concert music, color guard members began a study hall. This year, Sally Poole, an instructional assistant at the school, was in charge of their study hall.

BOONSBORO - The next time the Boonsboro High School color guard marches onto the field, spectators might want to pay close attention to the flags being carried by the squad members. Faced with the prospect of buying 27 new outdoor flags - at an estimated cost of $165 each - a number of parents and other volunteers pitched in to sew flags over the summer. The effort of the volunteers brought the cost of the flags down to $3 to $5 a flag. Each flag - composed of a silky lining material and lam - took about four or five hours to complete.

Waynesboro Area Senior High School senior Angelina Comerci, right, stands along the sideline with her Color Guard mates as they prepare for the halftime show Monday night during the football game between Waynesboro and Boiling Springs.

Boy Scout Troop 412 participated in a Veterans Day color guard presentation at Paramount Baptist Church in Hagerstown on Nov. 11. Troop 412 is a newly formed troop.

The Silver Starlettes Majorettes and Color Guard was named Maryland State Champions for the third year in a row, taking first place in majorettes and second place in music at the annual Maryland State Fireman's Association Parade in Ocean City, Md. The group is sponsored by the Boonsboro Fire Department.

About 1,000 high school students from Pennsylvania and Maryland were at North Hagerstown High School on Saturday for the North South Keystone Indoor Drill Association. The North and South Hagerstown high schools hosted the competitions involving color guards and percussion bands. North High hosted the morning competition, and South High hosted the afternoon competition. Students from Frederick County, Md., and Pennsylvania won most of the morning competitions. The color guard group from Boonsboro High School took second in the gold guard division of the morning contest.

Winners in the 84th annual Alsatia Mummers Parade: Amateur floats First -- Otterbein United Methodist Church Second -- NMS Healthcare of Hagerstown Third -- Gift of Sight Fourth -- Starland Roller Rink Elaborate First -- No. 10, Birthday Party Girl Second -- No. 6, Barrel of Monkeys Third -- No. 8, Night of the Living Dead Fourth -- No. 28, Mrs. Dog Butt Fifth -- No. 12, Dog ...

DRY RUN, Pa. - Staff Sgt. Robert J. Flood, who disappeared with his crew mates when their B-24 crashed 63 years ago during World War II, finally was laid to rest next to his parents Saturday afternoon at Upper Path Valley Cemetery near Dry Run. The funeral carried full military honors, including a U.S. Army Reserve color guard and a flyover by a lone military jet. Attending the funeral was Flood's brother, Richard L. Flood, 84, of Mifflintown, Pa.,...

DRY RUN, PA. - Staff Sgt. Robert J. Flood, who disappeared with his crew mates when their B-24 crashed 63 years ago during World War II, finally was laid to rest next to his parents Saturday afternoon at Upper Path Valley Cemetery near Dry Run. The funeral carried full military honors, including a U.S. Army Reserve color guard and a flyover by a lone military jet. Attending the funeral was Flood's brother, Richard L. Flood, 84, of Mifflintown, Pa.,...

tammyb@herald-mail.com WAYNESBORO, Pa. - Drums were beating from all directions Saturday as Waynesboro Area High School hosted its annual Indoor Guard and Percussion show, featuring high school percussion, color guard and majorette groups from Pennsylvania, Maryland and West Virginia. Six schools scheduled to compete in Saturday's program had to cancel because of weather and accidents, said Waynesboro faculty member Camille Bowen, whose eighth-grade daughter Karen is a member of the color guard.

Betty Rockwell was a survivor. She outlived two husbands, the first who died of cancer just weeks before the birth of their child, leaving Betty a widow at age 18. They met through Betty's sister, Kate, who was married to Jack Morris' brother. Jack was a horse trainer at Hagerstown Raceway and was 29 when he died. “She definitely was an independent woman, even when married. She had no qualms about being able to take care of herself,” said youngest son, Edward “Ed” Rockwell of Hagerstown.

Boy Scout Troop 412 participated in a Veterans Day color guard presentation at Paramount Baptist Church in Hagerstown on Nov. 11. Troop 412 is a newly formed troop.

The following South Hagerstown High School students received scholarships from the South High Alumni Association:Kaitlyn Nicole Spangler - Kaitlyn will graduate with a 3.83 grade-point average and plans to continue her studies at Towson University in the nursing program and eventually pursue a doctorate.She is a member of the National Honor Society at South High and is captain of the cheerleading squad and softball team. In addition, Kaitlyn is a member of the Link Crew, color guard, band and Student Government Association, and serves as an office aide.

As a nation gives thanks to its veterans, the guest speaker at a ceremony in Hagerstown Friday suggested that appreciation flows both ways. Charles D. Stimson said Veterans Day also is a chance for veterans to express how much they appreciate the support of their fellow Americans. "Thank you for letting us serve this noble country," Stimson told a crowd gathered outside the Washington County Courthouse for a ceremony held by Morris Frock Unit 42 of the American Legion Auxiliary.

Thanks for remembering ‘forgotten’ veterans To the editor: Our most sincere appreciation for Dan Dearth’s article about three of our guys and for highlighting the “Forgotten War” in Sunday’s paper. The sacrifices of veterans should not be forgotten, and those of us who are Korean War veterans are particularly sensitive to being overlooked by history. This was one of the primary reasons we formed Antietam Chapter 312 nearly five years ago. In the last few weeks, we have been able to showcase ourselves in various ways.

Holidays are like rules and records. They all seem to be made to be broken. We give them literal and figurative definitions and then choose the one that benefits our situation the most. Holiday, by literal definition, is a day when work is suspended to commemorate an event. Holiday, by figurative definition, is when work is suspended for an extra day off that gives us time to do the things we tend to ignore. Figuratively, that’s why Christmas and Easter have changed over time.

ST. THOMAS, Pa. -- It was hard to differentiate thunder from the rumble of motorcycles in the last few minutes of the Christmas in July motorcycle ride Sunday. Sponsored by the Keystone Chapter of ABATE (Alliance of Bikers Aimed Toward Education), the ride ended in the midst of a severe thunderstorm. Motorcyclists huddled under pavilions and awnings at the American Legion grounds in St. Thomas, but their spirits didn't seem to be dampened. Chambersburg, Pa., resident Buck Hessler said the conversations and laughter were his favorite aspects of the event.

HAGERSTOWN -- The uniforms have been cleaned and pressed, and confidence is high as seven members of the Hagerstown Fire Department Honor Guard prepare to strut their stuff Saturday on a grand scale. The group will present the colors for the Baltimore Orioles/Boston Red Sox game that night at Camden Yards. "We find this a great honor to be on such a grand stage at a Saturday night game against a premium team," said Jim Kershner, a career Hagerstown firefighter. A bus has been chartered for the occasion and a few seats remain, but there are no tickets for the game to go along for the ride, Kershner said.

View the slideshow HAGERSTOWN -- High school band calls to mind a group of students in uniform marching and entertaining during halftime at football games. But football games are just a small fraction of the high school band equation. Besides the games and autumn outdoor band competitions, many students commit to a spring season of indoor band. North Hagerstown High School on Saturday hosted an indoor percussion and guard competition, with 22 schools from across the Tri-State area participating.

DEC. 5, 1932-JAN. 14, 2009 FANNETTSBURG, Pa. - Donald T. "Bud" McAllen, 76, of 9945 Wineman Road, died Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2009, at Chambersburg (Pa.) Hospital. Born Dec. 5, 1932, in Willow Hill, Pa., he was the son of the late Donald M. and Sadie LaRue McAllen. He was employed as an electrician by Letterkenny Army Depot for 37 1/2 years. He was a veteran of the Korean War, serving in the U.S. Army. He was a member of Lower Path Valley Presbyterian Church in Fannettsburg, where he served as a trustee and on the Board of Session.