The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
CANDLES BURN ON, VETERANS HONORED
Perry AMVETS Post 1971 holds ceremony to remember veterans
Against the southeast wall inside Perry AMVETS Post 1971 at 4128 Main St. sat a table with a red, white and blue tablecloth. On that tablecloth were displayed tealight candles set out in rows to be lit as a part of the post’s annual Veterans Day service beginning over 40 years ago in honor of those who have served, are serving, and those veterans who have fallen.
“They’re the ones that made our country great,” said Post Commander Jerry Juncker on Nov. 11. “They give us the freedom that we have right now.”
The event began with a prayer for veterans followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. After the Pledge, the attention was directed to a small table with a white cloth to honor Prisoners of War.
The post then honored veterans in attendance starting with the Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines and finishing with the Coast Guard.
The names of those currently serving for the United States were called and if there
was a family member in attendance, that family member would light a candle; names called that didn’t have family in attendance had a candle lit for them by members of the post.
To maintain proper protocol regarding the novel coronavirus pandemic, before guests lit a candle, they were required to use hand sanitizer.
Arnie Stanko, a U.S. Marine, dedicated a candle
to Vietnam veterans who died from Agent Orange.
As a Marine living with Agent Orange, he said that there “isn’t enough”
attention towards the chemical that is still taking lives to this day.
As the event concluded, Ruth Frazier, the post’s Ladies Auxiliary Americanism officer, said it was important to have the event this year despite the coronavirus pandemic.
“( Veterans) did everything when it wasn’t convenient,” she said.
“We can persevere and get through the pandemic.”