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Parade, ceremony honor veterans in Conneaut

Star Beacon - 5/29/2018

May 29--CONNEAUT -- A long line of representatives from civic organizations, government representatives and veterans organizations walked a short distance to lay a wreath at a memorial in City Cemetery on Monday morning during the city's Memorial Day ceremony.

Several hundred people found a shaded area to watch the festivities after a parade meandered from Route 20, down Main Avenue to Liberty Street to honor American veterans who lost their lives serving their country.

"I remember going with my family to the cemetery and switching out flags on veterans graves," said ceremony main speaker Catherine Glosser who served from 1971 to 1976 in the Women's Army Corps. The WAC was created in 1941 to help meet the growing need for people in the Armed Forces creating opportunities for women that did not exist prior to the creation of the group.

"Memorial Day is a day set to honor veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice," said David Dixon of the Conneaut Elks Club. He also encouraged those in attendance to remember veterans every day of the year.

The WAC maintained it's role in the defense of the country until 1978 when women were integrated into the military.

She said her parents also taught her there was a difference between Memorial Day and Veteran's Day as the Memorial Day focused on soldiers who died in the line of duty while Veterans Day was for all military past and present honoring their service to the country.

"I came to the conclusion Memorial Day is ultimately a day of remembrance," Glosser said of the Memorial Day's place in the country's history,.

Glosser said the day focuses the eyes of a nation on the importance of honoring the 1 million American soldiers that have died in service to their country. She said Memorial Day was officially created by Congress in 1971 and marked on the calendar as the fourth Monday in May every year.

In May 2000Congress added a new dimension with a minute of silence at 3 p.m., Glosser said. She also said the American Flag is placed at half mast the morning of Memorial Day and raised to full staff at noon.

Victoria Fink also read Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address prior to the wreath placing ceremony that included representatives from the Conneaut VFW, Conneaut American Legion, Guardians USA Veterans to name a few.

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(c)2018 the Star Beacon (Ashtabula, Ohio)

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