Organizations finalize plans for Memorial Day observances

The Rev. Mark Spring, who serves Catholic churches in Ft. Madison and Montrose, will be the keynote speaker at the Avenue of Flags and Henry County Veterans Memorial Committee-sponsored Memorial Day observance Monday, May 29, at 10:30 a.m. in the Mt. Pleasant Community High School gymnasium.

The Rev. Spring is a retired chaplain (captain) from the United States Air Force.

Memorial Day activities actually begin Friday, May 26, when flags will be placed on veterans? graves throughout the county. At 4 p.m., flags will be placed in Forest Home, Old City and St. Alphonsus cemeteries under the supervision of Stan Hill, Bob Svidal and Pat White with the Boy Scouts assisting. Anyone is welcome to assist with the grave markers at Forest Home. Flags can only be placed if there is a flag holder at the gravesite. It is the responsibility of family members to make sure those flag holders are in place.

Flags will be raised on the courthouse lawn Saturday, May 27, at 8 a.m. The flags will remain flying for three days before being retired Monday at 4 p.m., weather permitting. Anyone is welcome and encouraged to volunteer in the raising and retiring of the flags.

Monday?s ceremony at the high school gymnasium will begin with the presentation of the colors by members of the VFW, American Legion and Amvets posts and auxiliaries.

Avenue of Flags Chairman and Honor Guard Commander Dean King will serve as master of ceremonies.

The Rev. Tony Campbell, pastor of the Second Baptist Church in Mt. Pleasant, will deliver the invocation and benediction. The Rev. Campbell is retired from the University of Iowa after 25 years of service.

The MPCHS band, under the direction of Jim DePriest, will be playing patriotic music prior to the beginning of the program and will also play the National Anthem.

Maison Ashton, son of Ronnie and Hollie Ashton, and Payton Kelly, son of Grant and Kimberly Kelly and Mark and Jana Crull, will read General Logan?s orders. Ashton and Kelly are the 2017 Boys State representatives from American Legion Post 58 of Mt. Pleasant.

Under the direction of Shari Moeller and Katie Townsend, students from Mt. Pleasant Elementary schools will be giving a musical presentation of the Gettysburg Address/Battle Hymn of the Republic and another patriotic selection.

Organizations will be invited to place wreaths. If your organization would like to present a wreath, please inform King before the service starts. Thirteen names of deceased veterans have been engraved and added to the memorial since Veterans Day. The 13 additions bring the total to 1,359 names. Families of the additions to the memorial will be recognized.

Following the benediction, the honor guard will fire a three-volley salute followed by Taps from members of the high school band.

Names attached to the memorial include: Harold A. Dorsey, United States Army; Max D. Beavers, United States Army; Glen M. Seberg, United States Navy; Raymond M. Brake, United States Army; John E. McDowell, United States Army;

Also, Henry E. Ericson, United States Army; John Bradley McDowell, United States Navy; James Edward DePriest Sr., United States Army; James E. Leeper, United States Army; Darrell L. Potter, United States Army; John J. Frank, United States Army; John C. McCoid II, United States Navy; Wendell Taft Smith, United States Army.

New London will host its Memorial Day observance Monday, May 29, at 2 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial on Main Street. In case of inclement weather, the observance will be at VFW Post 7641, 802 E. McKinley in New London.