REMEMBERING: Area Memorial Day celebrations...


Waukon...

Waukon...

Harpers Ferry ...

Harpers Ferry ...

Lansing ...

Lansing ...

New Albin ...

New Albin ...

New Albin ...

In Waukon...
The annual Memorial Day Observance held May 27 in Waukon was moved indoors to the Waukon Banquet Center this year due to rainy weather. That rain also prevented the holding of the parade as part of this year’s Memorial Day events, but a variety of traditional honorings remained as part of this year’s observance. Retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. James “Joe” Emerson (pictured below at right), son of the late Ollie and Chris Emerson and a current resident of the Harpers Ferry area, delivered this year’s Memorial Day address. Quilts of Valor were bestowed on local veterans (pictured at above left) during Monday's program, including: Left to right - Front row: Wayne Rissman, Russell Moline, Ernie Osland, Barton Hamm, Jim Christianson, Cyril Larkin; Back row: Cheryl Bollman (representing her husband, Jerry), Jim Mathis, Dennis Dahlstrom, Ron Dahlstrom, Tim Fish, Dave Stilwell, Gary Cooper. Pictured below at left, Lindsey Lund and her daughter, Ella, were recognized with Mrs. Poppy and Miss Poppy honors this year. Photos by Krystal Johnson.
 

In Harpers Ferry ...
Rainy weather forced the annual Memorial Day Observance in Harpers Ferry indoors into the Ethel Robinson Meehan Community Center (pictured at left) Monday, May 27, with the traditional parade also having to be canceled. The rain could not dampen the Patriotic Spirit of those in attendance, however, as a variety of activities honored the service of all veterans, including members of the American Legion Auxiliary laying wreaths (pictured below at left) in honor of those who made the ultimate sacrifice and the playing of Taps by Russ Hagen (pictured below at right) of the Harpers Ferry American Legion Post #722. Photos by Joe Moses.
 

In Lansing ...
The annual Memorial Day Observance in Lansing took place Monday, May 27 inside the Kee High School gymnasium due to rainy weather that also prevented the traditional parade from taking place. Kee High School 2009 graduate Dustin Benzing (pictured below at left) presented this year's Memorial Day Address in the gymnasium of his high school alma mater. The rain did let up long enough for members of the Lansing Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post #5981 to complete some of their traditional ceremonial activities to honor those who have served and paid the ultimate price in service to their country, including the rifle salute honoring (pictured below) and the “Display of Colors” including the American flag along with flags of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion (pictured below). Photos courtesy of the Kee High School Yearbook.
 

In New Albin ...
The Memorial Day Observance in New Albin took place Monday, May 27, with all activities being held indoors at the New Albin Community Center and the traditional cemetery program not being held due to the rainy weather that passed through the area that day. Those wet weather conditions did not dampen the spirit of patriotism shown by those in attendance, including the area veterans pictured at center below saluting the flag that they committed to defend during their military service for the country it represents. Quilts of Valor were presented to several local veterans as well during the Memorial Day Observance event. Pictured in the photo below, left to right, are Tom Ewoldt, David Wild, Carver Smerud, Michael Mitchell and Lawrence Donahue.

Also taking place during the Observance program was the reading of a pair of biographies of New Albin area veterans who were Killed In Action during World War II, those stories being read from the book “Veterans from the Heartland” written by Waukon native Maury Gallagher. The stories of those two fallen veterans were read by resident relatives of each of them who are pictured below. In the photo below at left, Ray Whalen read the story of his first cousin and godfather, U.S. Navy Petty Officer Second Class Kenneth Edmund Casey, who was serving on the USS Astoria when it was one of three American heavy cruiser watercraft lost in the Battle of Savo Island off the coast of Guadalcanal August 9, 1942. Petty Officer Casey served as Ship’s Cook, and the New Albin Veteran of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post #5603 was organized and named in his honor in early 1946. Pictured in the photo below at right, Emily Darling read the story of her great uncle, U.S. Army Sergeant Douglas Ray Darling, who was first reported Missing In Action in the Ruhr Valley in Germany March 16, 1945 after helping the 26th Infantry fight its way across France and Luxembourg. However, it was not confirmed until more than four years later that Sgt. Darling had been Killed In Action in that Ruhr Valley skirmish. Photos by Lori Darling.