Photo By Staff Sgt. Michael Crawford | The 338th Army Band marches down the street as part of the Mercer Memorial Day 500...... read more read more
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MERCER, Pa. – Sunny, humid and a smoldering high of 92 degrees would be excuse enough to retreat to shade and air conditioning. But on Memorial Day, the streets of a small town in western Pennsylvania flooded with families, veterans and service members for the Mercer Memorial 500 celebration.
The Mercer Memorial Day 500 Foundation, a charitable organization affiliated with the Community Foundation of Western Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio, encourages participation in honoring members of the military who are currently serving, have served and have given their lives. Founded in 2003, the foundation promotes patriotism and generates awareness of the importance of Memorial Day.
“Memorial Day is not a holiday,” reads the foundation’s official slogan. “Because of what it represents, the rest of the days of the year are our holidays!”
The festivities began at 8:50 a.m. with a five-kilometer fun run. As service members ran alongside members of the community, crowds gathered outside the courthouse to welcome the newest faces of the armed forces’ recruits, as well as recognize the familiar faces of local veterans from World War II, Korea and Vietnam.
“It’s very emotional,” said Mandi Ridgedell, a member of the Victory Belles. “It teaches you the true meaning of what Memorial Day is all about, and most people our age don’t get to experience that.”
To help celebrate that meaning, the Victory Belles, based out of the World War II Museum in New Orleans, performed on the bandstand outside the courthouse following the recognition ceremony. The Victory Belles perform at events around the country for veterans and active duty service members.
“This isn’t a performing job,” said Ridgedell, who has been a Belle for over three years. “It’s so much more; it’s hard to put into words. We feel proud to do it, and we feel humbled.”
And what Memorial Day celebration would be complete without a parade? Local Boy Scouts, fire fighters, police officers and the Victory Belles marched down the streets alongside veterans and current service members, including the 475th Quartermaster Group and the 338th Army Band.
The parade ended at the cemetery, where the festivities concluded with a memorial salute to those who gave everything to their country. For former Spc. Thomas Means, a Vietnam veteran, it showed the nation had learned and grown.
“We didn’t get the parades and celebrations when we came back,” said Means, who served with the 198th Light Infantry. “But as long as the troops – our sons and grandsons – have them now, we’ve learned our lesson.”
| Date Taken: | 05.28.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 05.29.2012 14:58 |
| Story ID: | 89123 |
| Location: | MERCER, PA, US |
| Web Views: | 158 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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