Vietnam Veteran Rev. Dr. William Reese will present the featured address at this year's Waukon Memorial Day Observance
Rev. William Reese ...
The 2016 Memorial Day Observance Program being held at Oakland Cemetery in Waukon Monday, May 29 will commence following the traditional parade that begins at 9:45 a.m. in front of the Allamakee County Courthouse and marches its way to the cemetery. In the event of rain, the program will be held at the Waukon Banquet Center.
All Veterans are encouraged to participate, a ride will be provided for those Veterans unable to walk the parade route to the cemetery. Anyone wishing to enter a unit in the parade or seeking more information on the Memorial Day program in Waukon should contact Heather Homewood at the Allamakee County Veterans Affairs Office at 563-568-6135.
Volunteers are also needed to help set up the Avenue of Flags Saturday, May 27, beginning at 7 a.m. Those efforts will begin at the Allamakee County Courthouse in Waukon.
PARADE GRAND MARSHAL
This year's Grand Marshal for the Memorial Day Parade in Waukon will be Leslie Kerndt, Jr. of Waukon. He is a U.S. Army Veteran who served in the Korean War with Company A of the 73rd Engineering Combat Battalion. After infantry training and Tractor Operator School, he boarded the troop ship “Hope” which took him to Pusan, Korea. From Pusan he rode a train to Chunchon. He served 16 months in Korea before returning home for discharge in March 1955.
FEATURED SPEAKER
This year's featured Memorial Day speaker for the program in Waukon will be Rev. Dr. William J. Reese. He has been a professor of Religious Studies and Philosophy at Viterbo University in La Crosse, WI for over 22 years teaching comparative world religious, Biblical exegesis and moral philosophy.
An ordained Lutheran pastor, he has also served St. Peter’s Church in New Albin and Evangelical Church of Peace in Freeburg, MN for the past 18 years as part-time Pastor. He is a Vietnam Veteran, having served with the 9th Infantry Division in the Mekong Delta from 1966-67. He currently lives in Viroqua, WI.
