“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13
Pastor Warren Curry quoted this powerful Bible passage during Memorial Day services in Clarion on Monday. In a brief but meaningful service, Retired U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander and local American Legion member, Dean Kluss, acted as emcee. Kluss opened the service by reminding everyone about “the price we pay on the quest for freedom.” He asked that we all remember the sacrifices of the fallen.
Curry then provided the invocation and Tessa Yackle sang the National Anthem. Next, service music for each branch of the military was played and members of each branch were asked to stand. They received a hearty applause.
Two historic pieces of literature were read by Seth DeVries. First was Abraham Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address” where he emphasized, “These dead shall not have died in vain ….this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom.” The poem “In Flanders Fields” by John McCrae was also read.
Kluss went on to read the names of several local service members who died during World War II. Different local service organizations then decorated a ‘grave’ to honor the dead. These included the American Legion Auxiliary, the VFW Auxiliary, the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Boy Scouts. It was a solemn moment in the proceedings.
Throughout the day, many other services were held throughout the county as well.
