MOUNT CARMEL - The Mount Carmel Area Joint Veterans Committee met Sunday, Oct. 16 at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2110 and announced its activities for the Veterans Day holiday as well as activities until the end of the year.
The Mount Carmel Area Elementary School program will be held at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Mount Carmel Area High School auditorium. Under the direction of Denise Giacomini. Area veterans will be honored with patriotic readings and songs performed by the students. Veterans are asked to meet at the auditorium for 9:15 a.m.
Veterans Day services will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday at American Legion Post 91, Avenue and Maple streets. Wreaths will be placed, the American flag lowered to half-staff, a volley of shots fired and Taps will be sounded. Veterans are asked to assemble for 8:45 a.m.
At 9:30 a.m., the Mount Carmel Area High School program will be held in the auditorium. High school students will present a program of patriotic readings, poems and songs. The Mount Carmel Area High School Band, under the direction of Bernard Stellar, will play patriotic musical selections. The Veterans of Foreign Wars' "Voice of Democracy" contest winner will be announced then that student will read his/her entry.
Those assembled will then proceed to Third and Oak streets to the World War I Memorial plaque on the Union National Bank for a service. The high school band will provide musical selections, a volley of shots will be fired and Taps will be sounded.
The honor guard, veterans and the band will then march north on Oak Street to Second and Oak streets to the veterans' memorials at the Susquehanna Bank for a service. Following the service, refreshments will be available for the participants at the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Traffic control and escort will be provided by local police departments and Mount Carmel Fire Police.
The public is encouraged to attend and participate in all the programs and to display the American Flag.
The next Changing of the Colors flag ceremony will be held at 1 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 27, at Second and Oak streets. The flag will be raised in honor and memory of all fallen comrades. Area veterans and the public are invited to attend.
The annual Pearl Harbor Remembrance service will be held at Second and Oak streets at 1 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 4. During the attack on Dec. 7, 1941, Japanese forces attacked the United States fleet stationed at Pearl Harbor and air bases on Hawaii, which led to the United States entering into World War II. Mount Carmel native Albert C. Berkanski died aboard the USS Arizona and Kulpmont natives Bernard J. Miriello and John C. Wydila on the USS California. All were serving in the U.S. Navy and were the Mount Carmel area's first casualties during the war. In the event of inclement weather, the service will be held at Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2110. Veterans and the public are invited to attend.
The Committee's final activity of 2011 will be the Changing of the Colors flag ceremony at 1 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 18.
The Joint Veterans committee is composed of American Legion Post 91, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2110, Disabled American Veterans Chapter 129, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2110 Ladies Auxiliary, James A. Garfield Camp No. 34, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War and Knights of Columbus Bishop Lawrence F. Schott Assembly 959.
Current officers are Ann Ray Begis, president; James Kealy, vice-president; William Begis, treasurer; David Berezovske, secretary; Walter Summers, chaplain, and Andrew Bubnis, Ronald Halcovich, Joseph Lutcavage and Robert Nahodil, trustees.