Memorial Day Ceremony at Union Township

The Vietnam Veterans of America, Clermont County Chapter 649 will hold their 32nd annual Memorial Day Ceremony at Union Township Veteran’s Memorial Park on May 27th. The reading of the names of the fallen from the Tri-State area begins at 6:00 a.m. and continues every hour on the hour. The final reading is at 1:00 p.m. The Ceremony begins at 2:00 p.m.

Anyone wishing to read names should show up 15 minutes before the top of the hour. As each name is read a flag will be placed on one of the 415 crosses that will be displayed in the field near the Helicopter Memorial. John Mattingly, VVA 649 President said, “This is an excellent time for family members and grandchildren to participate by placing a flag on a cross in memory of a fallen soldier.”

Our keynote speaker will be Linda Griffin who will relate the story of her brother, an 18-year-old Marine who was killed in Vietnam just days after his arrival. Linda was a junior in high school who vividly remembers the day the Marines came calling to report her brother’s death. Her emotional story, “A sister’s memory of a great brother,” will relate why Memorial Day means so much to her and to so many other families whose loved ones never returned.

A golf cart to transport attendees to the Memorial will continuously travel to and from the main parking lot beginning at 10:00 a.m. Veterans Memorial Park is located at the corner of Clough Pike and Glen Este-Withamsville Road. For more information about the VVA Chapter 649 go to www.vva649.org.