Memorial Day services set in the Mon Valley
By the MVI
Memorial Day is a national day of mourning created to honor those in the United States military who died in defense of our country.
Traditionally, communities commemorate the day with parades, ceremonies and flagging of veterans’ graves.
Memorial Day has been observed in the U.S. as a national holiday honoring all fallen American veterans since 1971, but memorials and other traditions have been around since the end of the Civil War in the 1860s.
Several veterans organizations across the Mon Valley will honor America’s fallen heroes during ceremonies at war and veteran memorial sites throughout the area this weekend, leading up to Memorial Day on Monday.
BELLE VERNON
A Memorial Day service will be held at 9 a.m. May 26 at the Belle Vernon Cemetery in the veterans’ area
BENTLEYVILLE
Bentleyville American Legion Post 165 will hold Memorial Day services Monday, May 26, at the honor rolls in the following communities:
• 8 a.m. Somerset Township, 615 Vanceville Road, Eighty Four
• 8:30 a.m. North Bethlehem / Scenery Hill, 2128 E. National Pike, Scenery Hill
• 9 a.m. Cokeburg, 41 Washington St., Cokeburg
• 9:30 a.m. Ellsworth, 21 South Main Street, Ellsworth
• 11 a.m. Bentleyville, 511 Main St., Bentleyville
A luncheon will follow at the Bentleyville American Legion Post 165, 500 Main St., Bentleyville
CHARLEROI
American Legion Post 22 announces Memorial Day services on Monday as follows:
• 9 a.m. — Speers Honor Roll
• 9:30 a.m. — Fallowfield Honor Roll
• 10 a.m. — North Charleroi Honor Roll
• 11 a.m. — Charleroi Memorial at Chamber Plaza, Fifth Street
• Noon — Dunlevy Honor Roll
A post everlasting will be held at 6 p.m. at the legion to acknowledge the deceased members of the post.
DONORA
American Legion Post 212, Donora, will hold Memorial Day services on Sunday as follows:
• Noon — Donora War Memorial, McKean Avenue, between Chestnut and Walnut streets
• 12:45 p.m. — Mon Valley Memoral Park Cemetery, 49 2nd St. Ext, Donora
• 1:30 p.m. — AP Delsandro Veterans Memorial, Sixth and Meldon Avenue, Donora
• 2 p.m.— Luncheon at the Donora American Legion Post 212, 513 Meldon Ave., Donora
ELIZABETH BOROUGH
The Kastan Uveges VFW Post 7632, its Auxiliary and the Alonzo L. Weigle American Legion Post 553 are preparing for the Memorial Day parade and ceremony that will be held in Elizabeth on May 26. The parade starts at 9:30a.m. with the ceremony immediately following.
The ceremony will be held in the parking lot next to the Elizabeth Volunteer Fire Co. social hall. The Masters of Ceremony will be Commander Harold Armstrong, VFW Post 7632 and Commander Ross Woolum, American Legion Post 553. The guest speaker will be retired U.S. Army Maj. William Roland.
The parade route goes down Third Street and makes a left onto Market Street.
FAYETTE CITY
The Fayette City Memorial Day parade and ceremony will be held May 26. Prizes will be awarded for children’s decorated bicycles. Participants are invited to bring their “cool cars, trucks, motorcycles, quads and tractors, old and new.”
Organizers are also inviting groups such as Scouts, football and soccer teams, marching groups, etc., to participate.
Parade lineup will be at 9:30 a.m., starting at the fire hall and on to the back street into the church parking lot. The parade will start at approximately 10 a.m.
A ceremony will be held immediately following the parade at the Fayette City Honor Roll. Following the ceremony, there will be hot dogs, drinks, cotton candy, live music, face painting, a vendor show and more at the Fayette City American Legion Post 484.
Contact Denise at clloyd2020@yahoo.com for a registration form to participate
FINLEYVILLE
American Legion Post 613 will hold Memorial Day Services in Finleyville Sunday, May 25, at the following locations:
• 1 p.m. — Stone Church Cemetery
• 1:15 p.m. — St. Francis Cemetery
• 1:30 p.m. — Mingo Creek Cemetery
• 1:45 p.m. — Finleyville Cemetery
• 2 p.m. — Finleyville VFD Training Center (formerly Finleyville Community Center)
All times approximate.
Refreshments will be served following the community center ceremonies at American Legion Post 613 Morrison-Ritchie.
FIVE-TOWN AREA
Roscoe American Legion Post 801 Memorial Day services will be held Monday as follows:
• Elco Civic Center — 9 a.m.
• Mt. Calvary Cemetery — 9:15 a.m.
• Coal Center Honor Roll — 9:30 a.m.
• Liberty Circle Honor Roll California — 9:45 a.m.
• Howe Cemetery— 10 a.m.
• Long Branch Honor Roll — 10:10 a.m.
• Twilight Honor Roll — 10:20 a.m.
• Mt. Tabor Cemetery — 10:35 a.m.
• Allenport Honor Roll — 10:45 a.m.
• Stockdale Honor Roll — 10:55 a.m.
• Roscoe American Legion Memorial Park — 11:05 a.m.
All times are approximate.
JEFFERSON MEMORIAL’S ANNUAL MEMORIAL DAY CEREMONY
Jefferson Memorial Cemetery, Funeral Home, and Crematory, 401 Curry Hollow Road, Pittsburgh, will host its annual Memorial Day ceremony 11 a.m. Monday.
The service will conclude by noon in the Garden of Oak Knoll. The annual program is free and open to the public.
This year’s guest speakers are U.S. Marine Corps veteran Bob McGowan, Dayna Brown, board member of the Friends of the Pittsburgh Fisher House, Robert Fragasso from Animal Friends for Vets and state Rep. Andrew Kuzma.
Music will be performed by Thomas Jefferson High School Choir.
MCKEESPORT
The City of McKeesport will honor those veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice with a solemn ceremony at 10 a.m. May 26 at Memorial Park, Lysle Blvd.
MONESSEN
The Monessen Veterans will hold its annual Memorial Day service on Monday, May 26, starting at noon at the Grandview Cemetery Mausoleum.
The public is encouraged to attend to honor the memory of those who gave all and those KIA and MIA as well as our veterans from all wars.
The public is encouraged to attend to honor all of those from Monessen who gave their lives in defense of our country.
MONONGAHELA
Monongahela’s Memorial Day services set for Monday, May 26, are being announced as follows:
Honor Guard Services
• 8:30 a.m. — Veterans are to report to the corner of Fourth and Main streets
• 9 a.m. — Parade Line up
• 9:30 a.m. — Parade begins
March Order
Mon Valley Honor Guard Color Guard, Mid-Mon Valley Shipmates, Mon Valley Leathernecks, Honor Guard, main speaker, veterans’ service organizations, Ringgold Band Auxiliary, Scouts, etc., fire departments and other units.
The program will run as follows:
• 9:45 a.m. — Program at the Monongahela Cemetery
• 11:30 a.m. — Victory Hill Honor Roll
• Noon — New Eagle
• 12:15 p.m. — Chess Park
• 12:40 p.m. — Fisher Heights
• 1 p.m. — Sacred Heart
• 1:30 p.m. — Van Voorhis
• 2 p.m. — Ginger Hill
• 2:30 — Hazelkirk
Refreshments will be available at VFW Post 1409, 793 E. Main St., Monongahela.
A Grand Army of the Republic memorial ceremony will be held May 28. Veterans are to report at 5:30 p.m. The ceremony will end by 6:15 p.m.
ROSTRAVER TOWNSHIP HISTORICAL SOCIETY
A Memorial Day program will be held 9 a.m. Monday at the Rostraver Township Historical Society presented by Belle Vernon Area High school social studies teacher Robb Jenkins and a group of his students. The program begins at 9 a.m. and the doors open at 8:15 a.m. Rostraver Township Historical Society’s Stuart Boyd will be the speaker. The historical society is located at 800 Fellsburg Road, Belle Vernon.
WEST MIFFLIN
The annual West Mifflin Borough Memorial Day Service is set for 10 a.m. Saturday, May 24, at Mitchell Paige Park, 4917 Homeville Rd. West Mifflin.
A dedication will be held for Commander Jake Bradich’s memorial park bench following the service.
Refreshments will also be served.
