Honoring our veterans
Members of American Legion Auxiliary Unit 22 of Charleroi were escorted in a military vehicle Saturday during the Mon Valley Veterans Day parade in Monessen. At right, Ringgold High School Marching Band’s drum line performs along Donner Avenue during the Veterans Day parade Saturday in Monessen.
Claysville American Legion Post 639’s antique black caisson was second in line Saturday at the Mon Valley Veterans Day parade in Monessen.
The Ringgold High School Marching Band’s drum line performs along Donner Avenue during the Veterans Day parade Saturday in Monessen.
Retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Mark Mourier delivered the address prior to the 70th annual Mon Valley Veterans Day parade Saturday in his hometown of Monessen.
Two military vehicles make their way down High Street during Saturday’s Veterans Day parade in Waynesburg.
The Waynesburg color guard, formed by members of Waynesburg American Legion Post 330 and Veterans of Foreign War Post 4793, marches in Saturday’s parade.
Ann K. Drach, a retired U.S. Army colonel, was the speaker at the Veterans Day ceremony Saturday in Waynesburg.
A veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder was troubled to the point where his wife left him step-by-step instructions for such tasks as the doing the laundry while she was at work.
Retired U.S. Lt. Col. Mark Mourier said he met the couple after he was called out of retirement in 2010 to run a veterans’ physical disability agency in Washington, D.C., work that made him realize the extent of support soldiers receive from their families.
“Veterans, find someone in your family and give them a hug,” Mourier said Saturday when he spoke at a luncheon before the area’s annual Veterans Day parade, which was held this year in his Monessen hometown.
The soldiers who received services at the agency had family members standing beside them, whether it was during recuperation or seeking military benefits, Mourier said.
“These soldiers are just a few years out of high school, serving their country, injured and looking to return to their units,” said Mourier, who retired from the military in 2013 after enlisting in 1974.
“It says a lot about all of us as veterans,” he said during the luncheon in Monessen Fire Department’s social hall in the Westmoreland County city’s Eastgate section.
“They were the heroes in our eyes. They were really close to drawing tears from military officers,” said Mourier, who also served in the U.S. Army Reserve while teaching middle school science for 25 years in North Carolina. “This was my most meaningful, rewarding experience.”
Greene County celebrated Veterans Day, honoring the men and women who served in the U.S. armed forces, with a parade and ceremony Saturday morning in Waynesburg.
Under a clear, blue sky and with temperatures hovering in the low 40s, a long line of veterans groups, marching bands, military vehicles, scouts, fire trucks and others made their way along High Street past the many spectators lining the sidewalks.
Retired U.S. Army Colonel Ann K. Drach of Sycamore spoke during a ceremony that followed on the Greene County Courthouse steps of the importance in honoring those who served and continue to serve this nation.
“No single military power in history has done greater good, shown greater courage, liberated more people or upheld higher standards of decency and valor than the United States military,” she said. “That is a legacy to be proud of, and those who have contributed to it must never be taken for granted.”
More than 50 million Americans served this country since 1776. Whether they served during times of war or peace, they all shared a common bond.
That bond, Drach said, is “an unwavering belief in the cause of freedom, a belief so strong they’re willing to give their lives, if need be, to its defense.”
Sadly, almost a million people did just that, making the ultimate sacrifice in combat or combat-related events, she said
As we honor our veterans on Veterans Day, Drach said, it is important this country “keep the promise” made to them when they answered the call to duty.
“We must care for those who have been injured in the service of our country, we must honor and remember those who have died and we must remember those whose fate is still undetermined,” she said, referring to those who remain missing in action or are prisoners of war.
The event was organized by Greene County Veterans Council. The parade marshal was Richard Davis, who served as a surgical technician during World War II and who received the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater Ribbon, Asiatic-Pacific Theater Ribbon, Good Conduct Ribbon and Victory Medal.
Bill DeWeese a U.S. Marine veteran and former state representative, served as master of ceremonies and Waynesburg Post 330 provided the honor guard. Following the ceremony, a luncheon was served at the Waynesburg VFW Post.