The annual Memorial Day service at Tibbets is being held at 9 a.m. Monday at the Sugar Creek Town Hall, N6641 Highway H, Elkhorn.
This year marks the 118th year the service has brought the Tibbets community together.
Ceremonies will include a 30-minute program at the town hall with the invocation delivered by the Rev. Joyce Rich of Bethel United Methodist Church. This year’s speaker will be Veterans Administrator Christine Jordan.
Following the ceremony, the Elkhorn Middle School Band will lead a parade to the Mount Pleasant Cemetery where the Elkhorn American Legion Post 45 will perform a service for veterans laid to rest there.
For more information about this year’s event, contact Loren Waite at klowngeezer@elknet.net.
American Legion Post 45 of Elkhorn and the Elkhorn Memorial Post 6375 of the VFW will kick off their Memorial Day observances with several ceremonies at cemeteries throughout the area.
Cemetery ceremonies prior to the ceremony and parade in downtown Elkhorn include North Geneva Cemetery at 8:30 a.m., and Hartwell Cemetery at 10 a.m. Following Monday’s ceremony in downtown Elkhorn, ceremonies will additionally be conducted at Hazelridge and Mount Olivet cemeteries.
All marching groups should be at the intersection of Lincoln and Walworth streets by 10 a.m. on Monday, May 25.
The parade will proceed west on Walworth Avenue and then north onto North Church Street and to the downtown square.
The ceremony on the downtown square will begin at 10:30 a.m.
Ceremony order
- Welcome message by Troy Anholt, Post Commander of Elkhorn Memorial Post 6375;
- Posting of colors
- “Star Spangled Banner” by the Elkhorn Area High School band, directed by Sarah Tauchen;
- Opening prayer;
- “Battle Hymn of the Republic” by the Elkhorn Area High School Vocal Jazz and Alumni, directed by Amy Kazda;
- Introduction of dignitaries including American Legion Post 45 Commander Bill Sigmund, Elkhorn Police Chief Joel Christensen, Mayor Brian Olson and Sheriff Kurt Picknell;
- Message from guest speaker John Giese, who has served the community on the police department for 31 years, retiring in 2002 and holding every rank including chief. Giese served in the United States Marine Corps from 1967-1971, serving in Vietnam from April 1968 to February 1969 when he was wounded flying as a door gunner on a Huey helicopter. Giese currently serves as the State Commander of the VFW;
- Reading of the names of the war dead;
- Rifle salute by Honor Guard, followed by “Taps;”
- Thank yous;
- Closing prayer by the Rev. Scott McLeod;
- Retirement of the colors.
