Holmes County villages and towns share Memorial Day program plans

Kevin Lynch, The Daily Record
·5 min read

MILLERSBURG − American Legion Post 192 announced plans for the Memorial Day parade and services in Millersburg, Fryburg and Berlin, to be held Monday, May 29.

The Killbuck VFW will hold a ceremony in Blissfield on Monday afternoon.

U.S. Army veteran Cory Allison was the main speaker at the Millersburg Memorial Day ceremony in 2021 held at Oak Hill Cemetery.
U.S. Army veteran Cory Allison was the main speaker at the Millersburg Memorial Day ceremony in 2021 held at Oak Hill Cemetery.

According to Post Commander Craig Lawhead, the color guard and firing squad of Post 192 will meet at the post home at 8:15 a.m. and proceed to the Clay Street Park to honor the grave of Peter Meyers, hero of three wars. The service will be at 8:30 a.m.

The color guard, firing squad and veterans will form at the Holmes County Courthouse at 9 a.m. to march to the Oak Hill Cemetery. Units for the parade will form in the following order: Color guard, West Holmes High School Marching Band, firing squad, persons in uniforms, veterans, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts. No political advertising or candidates is permitted.

The band will open the ceremony at the cemetery by playing of the national anthem. Lawhead will give the welcome address and introduce guest speaker William O’Donnell, U.S. Army Corp of Engineers.

Lawhead will place a wreath honoring fallen heroes. The firing squad will fire the salute followed by the sounding of taps. Services will conclude by the offering of the benediction by the Post 192 chaplain, Rob Wengerd.

The West Holmes Marching Band performs at the Millersburg Memorial Day service in 2021 at Oak Hill Cemetery. The band will play at this year's service on Monday, May 29.
The West Holmes Marching Band performs at the Millersburg Memorial Day service in 2021 at Oak Hill Cemetery. The band will play at this year's service on Monday, May 29.

Fryburg, Berlin, Walnut Creek ceremonies

The color guard, firing squad and veterans will continue to Fryburg Cemetery for a short ceremony at 10:15 a.m.

In Berlin at 11 a.m., with O’Donnell will speak. The Hiland High School Marching Band and the color guard will meet at the school in Berlin. The firing squad and veterans marching will meet at the First Baptist Church parking lot by 10:45 a.m.

If anyone knows of a veteran's grave that does not have a marker to hold a flag, contact the American Legion Post at 330-674-8923.

A service lead by Homer Weiss Post 494 of the American Legion, Sugarcreek, will be held at the Veterans Memorial in Walnut Creek at 7:45 a.m. on Memorial Day.

Blissfield Cemetery service

Memorial Day Services will be held at the Blissfield Cemetery, just off state Route 60 south of the Holmes-Coshocton County line, on Sunday, May 28, at 2 p.m.

Marine Corp veteran Alan Artman of Millersburg will be the speaker.

Killbuck VFW Post No. 7079 will conduct military graveside services in honor of U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Donald Carl Randles, who died Monday, Dec. 5, 2022. The Walhonding Rube Band will provide music.

Winesburg ceremony

The annual Memorial Day parade and service will be held in Winesburg on Monday, May 29. The parade will begin at 9:15 a.m. at the water tower and travel through Winesburg to the Westlawn Cemetery.

Veterans are encouraged to participate. Children are invited to participate in the parade; meet at the water tower at 9 a.m. Anyone interested in having a unit in the parade should call Esther Frink at 330-359-5139.

Maj. Stephen Wakefield will be the speaker. He is active duty Air Force and the son-in-law of Bruce and Shelley Millage of Millersburg. Wakefield earned his commission through the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado.  He is a student at the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, Edwards Air Force Base, California.

The  mission of the USAF TPS is to produce adaptive, critical-thinking test professionals to lead and conduct full-spectrum tests and evaluations of aerospace weapon systems. Before this assignment, Wakefield served as the executive officer to the Commander, 353d Special Operations Wing, Kadena AB, Japan, where he provided administrative oversight for the Air Force’s only Special Operations Wing in the Indo-Pacific Theater.

The Hiland Band will play several selections, and the Roll Call of deceased area veterans will be read.

A social time with refreshments will be held at the fire station following the service. The public is welcome.

Killbuck and Glenmont services

Killbuck and Glenmont will hold Memorial Day services Monday, May 29.

Killbuck’s parade will begin at 10 a.m. from the VFW and will be led by the VFW Post 7079 members and the West Holmes Marching Band. They will march to the Killbuck Cemetery. Special music will be provided by Toni Shreve and the West Holmes Marching Band.

Glenmont’s parade will begin at 11:30 a.m. from the Glenmont School Building and will be led by the VFW Post 7079 members and the West Holmes Marching Band.

Guest speaker for both services will be Woodrow E. Wilson, retired Army sergeant first class and Ashland University graduate of 1993 with a Bachelor of Science in Education.

Wilson joined the Navy in 1968 and spent a total of 23 months on active duty. He did two tours in Vietnam as a Seabee, building facilities for the 3rd Marine Division and the Army 101st Airborne Division.

He joined the Army Reserve in 1988 as a military policeman at age 42. He spent six months in Germany on active duty during Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm.

He transferred to the Ohio Army National Guard in 1991 and became an infantryman. In 1992, his infantry company trained as M1 Abrams tankers, which he continued until he medically retired in 2003.

Wilson lives in Killbuck Township with his wife of 48 years, Bobbi (Taylor). They have two grown sons and five grandchildren.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Millersburg Legion set Memorial Day schedule in Holmes County