West Easton held its Memorial Day Ceremony this morning to honor those who gave their lives in the service of their country.
Mr. Ted Versink was the Master of Ceremonies, introducing the dignitaries in turn and guiding the agenda. He quickly discovered the non-working microphone on the podium still wasn’t working today and jokingly said that he found a new line item for the budget.
The raising of the flag was performed by the Safety First firemen, who, following protocol, first raised the flag to the peak of the flagpole where it remained momentarily before being slowly lowered to the Half Staff position.
Spencer and Danica Gross then led those in attendance with the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by Father Daniel Troyan, who provided the Invocation.
Mayor Gerald Gross spoke about the sacrifices of those who served, noting 10 West Easton families accounted for 40 servicemen who served in WWII. There are 240 West Easton residents listed on the plaque which honors WWII military. He spoke of President Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address and how that address still holds relevance today. Noting that many take Freedom for granted, Mayor Gross gave a heartfelt thanks to those who attended the ceremony.
Rep. Robert L. Freeman also took time to speak, as is his custom to attend West Easton’s Memorial Day Ceremony each year it is held. He also spoke of WWII, along with additional wars where Americans laid down their lives. He noted that 60 million people died in WWII, among them over 400,000 Americans. It was a war, he said, that changed the world.
After the speakers were done, Fireman William Bracket placed a wreath in front of the memorial.
The ceremonies concluded with a gun salute by four members of the American Legion Brown-Lynch Post 9 Honor Guard Unit and Mr. Versink thanking Councilpersons Tom Nodoline and Kelly Gross for organizing the event, as well as those who participated, or simply took the time to attend.
While the mainstream media doesn’t find the little Borough of West Easton large enough or important enough to make note of our ceremony, it’s nonetheless the duty of every community, no matter how small, to honor those military personnel who gave the ultimate sacrifice for the rest of us to enjoy the freedoms we have today.
A video of the ceremony can be found below.
Disclaimer: On January 4, 2016, the owner of WestEastonPA.com began serving on the West Easton Council following an election. Postings and all content found on this website are the opinions of Matthew A. Dees and may not necessarily represent the opinion of the governing body for The Borough of West Easton.
