Looking for Memorial Day events in Ames, Story County? Here are some memorable activities
Dan Runyon will have Sgt. 1st Class Scott Carney on his mind this Memorial Day.
Carney was one of the soldiers who never made it home from a deployment in Afghanistan. Remembering him is an example of exactly why the Memorial Day holiday was created.
Runyon is riding in Carney's honor during Ames’ Memorial Day parade. He'll follow that with a speech as part of a ceremony at Ames Municipal Cemetery on Monday, he said.
Runyon, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, was one of about 100 Iowa service members who deployed to Afghanistan in 2007. The troops were split into small teams that joined different Afghan National Army units to help train. The teams traveled all over the country.
“Out of our group that went to Afghanistan, we had one fatality. Sgt. 1st Class Scott Carney was killed during our deployment,” Runyon said. “On Memorial Day, I always think of Sgt. Carney as a guy who was on the same deployment I was on. And his family didn’t get to see him come back.”
It’s that kind of solemn remembrance that makes Memorial Day different than other holidays, said Herman Quirmbach from the Ames Patriotic Council.
As the unofficial start of summer, the long weekend conjures images of barbecue grills and picnics for many Americans. But the purpose of the holiday is to remember and honor fallen service members.
A life serving America
Now retired from the military, Runyon has a 33-year history of service.
A farm kid from Corydon, he enlisted in the Army National Guard in 1989 as a private first class. His unit was to be deployed in Desert Storm, but the war was over so quickly, it never left the States.
Runyon was commissioned as a second lieutenant in August 1992 after attending Officer Candidate School. He served as a part-time National Guard member for a decade while at various times working for Barilla Pasta, Pella Windows, the Iowa State Patrol and as a gambling regulator.
In 2007, then-Major Runyon deployed to Afghanistan, where he helped train and deploy an Afghan Army Brigade on the Pakistan border.
The deployment earned him a Bronze Star, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and Afghanistan Campaign Medal, among others.
The incident that earned Runyon the Bronze Star was explosive.
Runyon was riding in a Humvee, in a convoy with a small group of American soldiers and Afghan soldiers they were training.
They were navigating their way through a mountainous region, about 600 kilometers from the Pakistan border.
“There was a lot of poppy trade and weapons trade and that kind of thing going on in that area,” he said.
They came to Ambush Alley, a route with only one way to get through to a mountain pass. A flowing river crisscrossed the area while steep cliffs soared high on both sides.
A loud boom suddenly rattled through the valley, which soldiers quickly determined was an RPG headed for their location. Runyon's unit dismounted their vehicles and exchanged fire with the enemy.
The soldiers successfully countered the enemy ambush despite heavy damage to their vehicles.
“We ended up with five people injured, but nobody died,” Runyon said. “We had significant damage to the vehicles — bullet holes, tires damaged, radiators empty of antifreeze, bulletproof glass shattered. We were so lucky to not have any casualties.”
Ames Memorial Day parade will lead to cemetery
The Ames Patriotic Council invites the public to attend the Memorial Day parade and ceremony on Monday.The parade will begin at City Hall at 10:30 a.m. and proceed north on Clark and then east on Ninth Street to the Ames Municipal Cemetery, where the ceremony will start at about 11 a.m.
Anyone, especially any veteran, wishing to walk or ride in the parade is welcome, Quirmbach said. Parade participants should begin gathering at 10 a.m. in the parking lot on the west side of City Hall, 515 Clark Ave., and along Fifth Street on the south side of City Hall.
“Due to the solemn nature of the holiday, the Patriotic Council asks that parade participants refrain from distributing candy or promotional literature along the parade route,” Quirmbach said.
The program at the cemetery will begin with a welcome from Ames Mayor John Haila as well as a greeting from American Legion Post 37 Commander Jay Sisco.
Tim Gartin, president of the Ames Patriotic Council will introduce the program.
A color guard from the Des Moines Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol will present the colors. The Ames Municipal Band, under the direction of Mike Golemo, will play patriotic music.
Jim DeHoet is the featured singer. A list of the names of local veterans interred since last Memorial Day will be read, followed by a salute from the American Legion Honor Guard.
American Legion Post 37 will provide lunch after the program at the post, 225 Main St.
A salute to the dead will be given at the Ontario Cemetery at 1 p.m. and at the Story Memorial Gardens at 1:30 p.m.For those not able to attend in person, the program will be viewable on the Ames Patriotic Council’s Facebook page and website, amespatrioticcouncil.org.
Volunteers are still needed to help staff barricades along the parade route from 10:15 to 11 a.m. If able to help, volunteers can sign up through a link on the Patriotic Council’s Facebook page.
In case of rain, the parade will be cancelled, and the program will move indoors to the Ames Municipal Auditorium at 11 a.m.
Nevada's procession goes from admin building to cemetery
Nevada’s Memorial Day event will begin at 9:45 a.m. Monday with a flag raising by Boy Scouts at the County Administration Building.
Jeff Baker, Nevada High School guidance counselor, will offer a greeting and recognition of military enlistees.
A dedication prayer will be offered by Jonathan Stone, youth minister at United Methodist Church. He will also close the program with a benediction.
At 10 a.m., the procession to the cemetery will begin.
Nevada Mayor Brett Barker will offer a welcome to begin the cemetery program.
The National Anthem and other patriotic songs will be performed by the Nevada High School band during the program.
Eagle Scout Ryan Wessels will recite the Pledge of Allegiance.
Dan Kockler from the Nevada Patriotic Council will introduce new flags.
Rowan Steele, the Boys State citizen, will recite the Gettysburg Address.
Nevada City Council member Dane Nealson will be the keynote speaker.
Taylyn Angus, Girls State citizen, will read “In Flanders Fields.”
Deb Thompson will present the wreath, and Adeline, Miya and Jackson Thompson will help with the laying of the wreath.
Jonathan Stone will do a tribute of honor. Ian Thomas, Boys State citizen, will read a Veteran’s Memorial.
A firing squad from the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars will fire a memorial salute.
Taps and Echo will be played by Melisa Garcia and Hayden Cheek.
Cambridge and Huxley services to be held at several cemeteries
The Cambridge American Legion will present Memorial Day services in Huxley and Cambridge.
On Sunday, a ceremony will be held at 2 p.m. at the Center Grove Cemetery.
On Monday, the Legion will hold observances at eight local cemeteries.
8:15 a.m. — Palestine Cemetery
8:40 a.m. — White Oak Cemetery
9:05 a.m. — Cory Grove Cemetery
9:30 a.m. — Elkhart Cemetery
10:05 a.m. — Fjeldberg Cemetery
10:20 a.m. — Midvale Cemetery
10:35 a.m. — Walnut Grove Cemetery
11 a.m. — Cambridge Cemetery
Roland holds beefburger meal after cemetery ceremony
In Roland, the ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. at the Roland Cemetery. People are encouraged to bring their lawn chairs or blankets.
The speaker at this year’s event will be Chad Cook, a retired captain in the Iowa National Guard. He currently teaches at the Woodward Academy, Jim McCormick of the Roland American Legion said.
The Roland-Story Middle School band, directed by Kara Barker, will provide music.
Members of the American Legion Post 307, American Legion Auxiliary and the Sons of the Legion will all take part in the ceremony.
“In Flanders Fields” will be read by Alexis Reid, a freshman at Roland-Story.
William Licht, the Boys State representative, will present “America’s Answer.”
Jenna Birkland will recite The Gettysburg Address.
Near the end of the event, two middle school students will play taps. Kara Patterson and Makenna Springer have that honor this year.
In the event of inclement weather, an announcement will be made on the American Legion Roland Post 307 Facebook page.
Salem Lutheran Church in Roland will hold its annual Memorial Day Beefburger Luncheon from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the fellowship hall at the church, 102 S. Main St. A free-will offering will help support missions of the church with supplemental funding from Thrivent Financial.
Story City to hold several observances Monday
The Story City American Legion Post 59 will hold a series of ceremonies Monday morning.
At 9 a.m., a ceremony will be held at the Randall Cemetery, followed by an observance at Timberland at 9:30 a.m.A flag ceremony will take place at the Legion at 10 a.m.
At 10:30 a.m., Bethany Life will host an observance, which will also be the starting place for the Memorial Day parade.
The parade will lead to the Fairview Cemetery in Story City, where a ceremony will be held at approximately 11 a.m.
“The cemetery will have American flags on each veteran’s grave, and the veterans will have a Memorial Day wreath,” said Virginia Swenson, president of the Story City Auxiliary. “It’s a very emotional and meaningful event.”
The speaker at the ceremony will be Pastor Tim Malek from St. Petri Lutheran Church.
Lucy Schmidt will recite The Gettysburg Address.
At the conclusion of the ceremony in Story City, all veterans, Legionnaires, and members of the Auxiliary, Sons and Riders are invited to return to the Legion post for dinner.
To add a Memorial Day event to add to this list, email Ronna Faaborg at rlawless@gannett.com.
Ronna Faaborg covers business, education and the arts for the Ames Tribune. Reach her at rlawless@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Unofficial start of summer, Memorial Day's real meaning honors the fallen
