Erie region to honor military members with Memorial Day parades, ceremonies

A.J. Rao, Erie Times-News
Updated ·3 min read

Numerous communities around the Erie region will honor the sacrifice of fallen military service members this Memorial Day weekend with parades, ceremonies and other events.

Here are some events happening.

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If you know of another Memorial Day parade or event taking place this weekend, send details to arao@gannett.com by Friday at noon. We'll add them to our online list.

Sunday

  • Millcreek Township: At 9 a.m., a ceremony will be held at the American Legion Post 773 in Millcreek Township at 4109 W. 12th St. An indoor ceremony will be followed by a wreath-laying and color guard ceremony at the placard memorial outside.

  • Wesleyville: At 11:30 a.m., a ceremony will be held at the American Legion Post 571 in Wesleyville at 1917 Eastern Ave.

  • City of Erie: At 1 p.m., a ceremony will be held at the Pennsylvania Soldiers' and Sailors' Home in Erie at 560 E. Third St.

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Monday

  • Fairview: At 10 a.m., a parade will begin at Holy Cross Church, 7100 West Ridge Road, and march west on West Ridge Road to Maple Street and turn north to the Fairview Cemetery, 7800 Maple St., where there will be a ceremony.

  • Meadville: At 10 a.m., a parade will begin at the intersection of Poplar and Water streets and conclude at Diamond Park, where an observance will begin at 11 a.m. With the theme for the observance being “Vietnam Veterans, welcome home. POWs/MIAs, we will never forget." The names of the 31 Crawford County residents who lost their lives in the Vietnam War will be read during the observance.

  • Wattsburg: At 10 a.m., a parade will begin at the intersection of South and Main streets and conclude at the Wattsburg Cemetery.

  • Jamestown, New York: At 10 a.m., a parade will begin at Washington Street and travel east down Fourth Street to Prendergast Avenue and continue to Buffalo Street and to Lakeview Cemetery.

  • Waterford: At 11 a.m., a Memorial Day parade will begin at the Fort LeBoeuf Middle School, go down Cherry Street, turn onto Second Street and go to the Waterford Cemetery for a 21-gun salute. Following the ceremony, the parade goes back down Third Street to the Waterford downtown park, where remarks are given at the gazebo around noon. Capt. Darrell Owens, U.S. Army Reserve, and former national security advisor to Rep. Glenn Thompson and former Sen. Pat Toomey, will be the featured speaker.

  • Springfield Township: At 11 a.m., a parade will begin at Springfield Elementary School, 11911 Bond St., East Springfield, and travel to the East Springfield Cemetery on Route 215, where a service will immediately follow the parade.

  • Girard: At 2 p.m., a parade will travel through downtown Girard and conclude with a ceremony at the Girard cemetery. The parade is organized by America Legion Post 494 in Girard.

  • Erie County Veterans Memorial Park: At 2 p.m., a ceremony will be held to mark the dedication of the Erie County Veterans Memorial Park at State Street and Glenwood Park Avenue. The ceremony will include a memorial service, the national anthem, Northcoast Brass Company bagpiper, color guard, rifle volley and the addition of 17 names to the World War I memorial. The two main guest speakers will be Maj. Charlotte Miller, U.S. Army Nurse Corps, 95th Evacuation Hospital, Danang, Republic of Vietnam, and Capt. John Klinge, First Cavalry Division, Iraq.

  • North East: From 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., visitors can visit a pop-up garden tour at Grimshaw Glen, 11274 Curtis Road in North East. The historic garden features rhododendrons and hostas.

A.J. Rao can be reached at arao@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNRao.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Memorial Day to hold parades and ceremonies in Erie region