A variety of events to commemorate Memorial Day on Monday are planned throughout Union County.
Marysville
Memorial Day ceremonies in Marysville will revolve around the theme “Freedom isn’t free,” aiming to remind attendees of the ultimate sacrifices made by men and women in the military.
Events begin at 8:15 a.m. with a ceremony at Schwartzkopf Park to honor the dead lost at sea.
Chaplain Barry Haigh, a Vietnam Veteran, will offer the prayer. Vietnam U.S. Navy Veteran Charles Troncone, CWO (retired) will present the wreath. The Navy Hymn will be sung by Rhonda Parks.
Community members are invited to attend but asked not to bring pets. Those in attendance should park in the north parking lot, 701 N. Maple St.
The Memorial Day Parade will step off at 9 a.m. from Plum Street at East Fourth Street, proceeding through Fifth Street to Oakdale Cemetery. In the case of inclement weather, the route will be shortened to end at Veterans Auditorium.
The Marysville Middle School Band will give a pre-ceremony concert at Oakdale beginning at 9 a.m. The Marysville High School Band will provide music in the parade and at Oakdale.
Organizations desiring to join the Parade may contact VFW Post 3320, sponsors of the parade.
Organizers asked those in attendance to keep in mind that “this is a solemn occasion” and note that no candy will be thrown during the parade. Attendees are also asked to leave their pets at home.
Event organizers said flags will be given to children in advance of the parade, but asked parents to encourage their children to “stand proudly and place their right hand over their heart to show proper respect when the American flag passes.”
Ceremonies at Oakdale Cemetery will begin at 9:45 a.m., unless inclement weather forces a move to Veterans Auditorium.
Those in attendance are asked to park in the Municipal Court parking lot across Raymond Road and bring lawn chairs or blankets for seating.
Special honorees include Prisoners of War and Missing in Action and Military/Gold Star Families.
Remarks on the significance of Memorial Day will be made by the chairman of the Marysville Memorial Day Committee.
Two local students, Grace Keiderling and Lia Russell, will also participate in the ceremonies.
Keiderling will present General John ‘Black Jack’ Logan’s orders establishing Decoration Day in 1868, which eventually became Memorial Day.
She is a junior at Fairbanks High School. At Fairbanks she participates in basketball, FCCLA, National Honor Society and Student Advisory Council.
Outside of school, she attends Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church where she is an altar server and the President of the Circle of Mary Bernadettes. She also works part-time at Der Dutchman. She also enjoys spending time with my family and friends, reading and learning about American history. She represents the VFW as a Voice of Democracy participant.
Russell will read President Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.
She is 17 years old and a rising senior at Marysville High School. Her parents are Tom and Monica Russell.
She works part-time at both Eda’s Italian Ice and Stir Fresh Asian Canteen. She volunteers at Memorial Hospital and the Marysville Public Library. She plans to study foreign languages and international relations in college.
Seven wreaths will also be presented at Oakdale Cemetery to honor the organizations comprising the Memorial Day Committee.
A wreath will be posted in remembrance of all Prisoners of War and Missing in Action. There will be 12 wreaths posted to honor the veterans of the major conflicts in which the U.S. has been involved and one wreath for all those that have served in the military.
The VFW-sponsored Honor Guard will provide military honors.
Rhonda Parks will sing in the ceremony at Oakdale Cemetery.
She is a graduate of Marysville High School, and she and her husband Jesse currently live in Richwood with their three daughters.
Parks studied music at Morehead State University in Kentucky, and at Cincinnati Christian University.
She works in Dublin as a massage therapist. She is active in the community, serving as a Girl Scout leader for eight years, and is an active member of the Mill Creek Church of Christ in Raymond.
Following the ceremony at Oakdale, there will be a short service at the Catholic Cemetery conducted by VFW Post 3320 and at the Amrine Cemetery conducted by American Legion Post 79.
There will also be a ceremony at VFW Post 3320 following the cemetery observances.
Following the ceremony at the VFW, lunch will be served, which is open to the public.
Marysville Memorial Day Ceremonies are sponsored by the Memorial Day Committee with representatives of American Legion Post 79, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3320, Disabled American Veterans Chapter 55, American Veterans Post 28, Blue Star Mothers Chapter 22, Hanna Emerson Dustin Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, 40 and 8 Voiture Locale 857 and the American Legion Post 79 and VFW Post 3320 Ladies Auxiliaries.
Milford Center, Broadway and Raymond
American Legion Post 9909 will host Memorial Day Ceremonies in Milford Center, Broadway and Raymond at each area’s respective cemetery.
Milford Center will host a ceremony at 9 a.m., followed by Broadway at 10 a.m. and Raymond at 10:30 a.m.
Richwood
Jackson Township will hold a service at Price Cemetery on Price-Mather Road at 9 a.m.
Richwood will have a parade through the village a t10 a.m. followed by a service at Claibourne Cemetery at 10:30 a.m.
Plain City
The village’s Memorial Day parade will begin at 10 a.m. from the north entrance of Pastime Park.
The route will follow Chillicothe Street and travel south, pausing at the Darby Township Cemetery across from Plain City Elementary. The parade will then turn east onto Cemetery Road, stopping on the bridge for a moment of observance for those lost at sea.
The parade will proceed to Forest Grove Cemetery for a full ceremony and a flyover of two F-16 fighter jets at 11 a.m. to honor all who lost their lives in service to our nation.
Jerome Township
Jerome Township’s Memorial Day parade will begin at 10 a.m., stepping off from Jerome Church and continuing to Jerome Cemetery.
The parade will be immediately followed by a short ceremony.