Memorial Day celebration well attended in Onaway

by Angie Asam, Staff Writer

In cities across America, Monday meant Memorial Day celebrations and services. Onaway Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 5857 and the Ladies Auxiliary conducted a program at the Onaway Courthouse to commemorate the day.

Post members, auxiliary members, junior auxiliary members, Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts marched from the VFW hall to the courthouse for the celebration, which was well attended by community members.

Acting post commander Herb Summers welcomed guests and led them in the Pledge of Allegiance before Marge Skinner performed the National Anthem. Kaye Porter, a member of the Ladies Auxiliary, then welcomed guests to the program she worked hard to plan, kicked off by the Onaway school band playing ?America the Beautiful?.

Mayor Gary Wregglesworth then offered a few comments on the day and thanked the post for its service and celebration on the holiday.

Marge Skinner was then invited back to the podium to read a poem she wrote entitled ?Pledge to Your Service?. The poem spoke about the veterans of wars and how much their sacrifices have meant. ?We now pledge our allegiance to the people who have served. Our love and gratitude w

e give is more than well deserved. So let us show them our support for services old and new and remember all who have respect for the great red, white and blue,? ended the poem, which was met with some teary eyes and thunderous applause.

The Joy Singers led by Carol Post then performed ?God Bless America? and ?America the Beautiful? before post member Robert Wilton read a selection.

Skinner then performed the ?Battle Hymn of the Republic? and invited the audience to join in on the chorus before the band performed ?Danny Boy? and the post took over to perform its traditional Memorial Day service.

?When I drove by the cemetery the other day and saw all the flags up I began to wonder if anyone was alive around here. Onaway and the surrounding communities have had more than their share of loss of servicemen and women, this community deserves a round of applause for that,? said Summers before beginning the graveside service. Post members and auxiliary members conducted the graveside service, which ended with the firing of the guns and taps before Summer closed the ceremony and invited everyone to the VFW hall for coffee and donuts.