{"id":73362,"date":"2019-06-08T07:21:26","date_gmt":"2019-06-08T11:21:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.owegopennysaver.com\/PS\/?p=73362"},"modified":"2019-06-08T07:21:37","modified_gmt":"2019-06-08T11:21:37","slug":"heroes-honored-and-remembered","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.owegopennysaver.com\/PS\/2019\/06\/08\/heroes-honored-and-remembered\/","title":{"rendered":"Heroes Honored and Remembered"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Court Street Bridge and Tioga County Veterans Memorial Park in Owego, N.Y. were adorned in red, white and blue flags and wreaths for the annual Memorial Day parade and remembrance ceremony on May 27. Veterans and the community were welcomed with bright sunshine and warm temperatures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Heroes
V.F.W. Post 1371 members pay special tribute to fallen heroes prior to the Memorial Day parade and ceremony on May 27 in Owego, N.Y. (Photo by JoAnn R. Walter)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Activities began at 8 a.m. with the annual Roll Call of Deceased Veterans who are buried in all Tioga County cemeteries.  V.F.W. Post 1371 paid a special tribute at the Veterans Memorial Park prior to the start of the parade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Heroes
V.F.W. Post 1371 members pay special tribute to fallen heroes prior to the Memorial Day parade and ceremony on May 27 in Owego, N.Y. (Photo by JoAnn R. Walter)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Parade-goers lined the streets of downtown Owego as they clapped and cheered for several veterans\u2019 organizations, along with the Daughters of the American Revolution, Owego Elementary students, the Owego Free Academy (OFA) parade band, Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts, and local officials and emergency responders, among others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Heroes
Veterans march during the Memorial Day parade on May 27 in Owego, N.Y. (Photo by JoAnn R. Walter)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Following the parade, Memorial Day Chairman and Korean War veteran, Jim Raftis, Sr., remarked, \u201cThe true meaning of Memorial Day is to remember,\u201d adding, \u201cWe remember the sacrifices of the men and women who died in service to the nation, and the sacrifices of their families.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Heroes
American Legion Tioga Post 401 members get a special ride\u00a0during the Memorial Day parade on May 27 in Owego, N.Y. (Photo by JoAnn R. Walter)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Raftis continued, \u201cAnd we remember the prisoners of war and those missing in action. They are not forgotten.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Heroes
Local Boy Scout troops and Village of Owego officials march\u00a0during the Memorial Day parade on May 27 in Owego, N.Y. (Photo by JoAnn R. Walter)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Also remembered at the ceremony was the upcoming 75th D-Day anniversary, as well as a salute to the American Legion on its 100th national and 87th local anniversaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Heroes
Parade-goers on Owego’s Front Street attend the Memorial Day parade on May 27. (Photo by JoAnn R. Walter)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Owego Elementary students participated in delivering flags to the memorials in memory of fallen heroes. The OFA Parade Band performed the National Anthem along with a medley of Armed Services songs, and Troop 60 Boy Scouts read names of Tioga County\u2019s fallen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Heroes
Parade-goers applaud as veterans march during the Memorial Day parade on May 27 in Owego, N.Y. (Photo by JoAnn R. Walter)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Also honored at the occasion were Purple Heart recipients and their families. Representatives of the Tioga County Veterans Service Agency, Mike Middaugh and John Holton, read names of Tioga County veterans who have passed away since November 11, 2018, and Holton spoke to guests about Tioga County\u2019s recent designation as a Purple Heart County.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Heroes
Vietnam Veterans ride\u00a0during the Memorial Day parade on May 27 in Owego, N.Y. (Photo by JoAnn R. Walter)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

A family member of Donald E. Rummel, killed in action in Vietnam and who now rests in Tioga Cemetery, held a framed photo of him during the ceremony. Two of Rummel\u2019s OFA classmates, Anthony Revak and Duane Clark Romeo, were also killed while serving in Vietnam. Revak is buried in St. Patrick\u2019s Cemetery, and Romeo rests in Riverside Cemetery-Apalachin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Heroes
The OFA parade band performs\u00a0during the Memorial Day parade on May 27 in Owego, N.Y. (Photo by JoAnn R. Walter)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

A ceremony tradition, Raftis asked that the oldest living veterans come forward. Tioga County resident, Richard Tiffany, approached the podium and shared with guests that he served in the South Pacific during World War II. Active in the American Legion for many years, Tiffany said he is now 92. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Heroes
Owego Elementary School students and families march during the Memorial Day parade on May 27 in Owego, N.Y. (Photo by JoAnn R. Walter)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Karen Messersmith of the Daughters of American Revolution shared that Revolutionary War soldiers helped make the United States what it is today, and commented, \u201cAlthough Tioga County was not a county at the time of the Revolution, these soldiers came through our area, and later, they came back and settled here, and they should always be remembered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Heroes
Owego Elementary students deliver flags during the Remembrance Service on May 27. (Photo by JoAnn R. Walter)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Father Mitch Zygadlo, temporary administrator of St. Patrick\u2019s and Blessed Trinity Parishes, and known to parishioners as \u201cFather Mitch,\u201d delivered the invocation and benediction, and was also a guest speaker at the ceremony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Heroes
An Owego Elementary student delivers a flag\u00a0during the Remembrance Service on May 27. (Photo by JoAnn R. Walter)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Father Mitch, a retired Air Force Chaplain Major, commented, \u201cI was invited to speak about my role as a Chaplain while in military service.\u201d  He explained that he performed religious rites and provided counseling, as well as promoted a positive spirit for military members, government civilians and their families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Heroes
Scouts from Troop 60 read the names of 170 Tioga County fallen heroes during the Remembrance Service on May 27. (Photo by JoAnn R. Walter)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

However, Father Mitch remarked, \u201cThe most difficult task was my role in death notifications. It was never easy to deliver that news to next of kin.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Heroes
Father Mitch, temporary administrator of St. Patrick’s and Blessed Trinity Parishes, and also a retired Air Force Chaplain, speaks to guests at the Remembrance Service on May 27. (Photo by JoAnn R. Walter)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

At the conclusion of the ceremony, U.S. Navy buried at sea were honored by a wreath cast into the Susquehanna River, while Taps was played by an OFA bugler and V.F.W. Post 1371 Honor Guard performed a rifle salute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Heroes
Tioga County resident, Richard Tiffany, a World War II veteran, speaks to Memorial Day Chairman, Jim Raftis, Sr.\u00a0Tiffany, at 92, is one of the county’s oldest veterans. (Photo by JoAnn R. Walter)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"Heroes
A member of V.F.W. Post 1371 salutes from the Court Street Bridge prior to releasing a wreath into the Susquehanna River in memory of Navy service members buried at sea. (Photo by JoAnn R. Walter)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"Heroes
Members of the Daughters of the American Revolution pause as a wreath is cast into the Susquehanna River in memory of Navy service members buried at sea. (Photo by JoAnn R. Walter)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"Heroes
An OFA bugler plays Taps during the Remembrance Ceremony on May 27 in Owego, N.Y. (Photo by JoAnn R. Walter)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Court Street Bridge and Tioga County Veterans Memorial Park in Owego, N.Y. were adorned in red, white and blue flags and wreaths for the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":73381,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-73362","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nHeroes Honored and Remembered - Owego Pennysaver Press<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"http:\/\/www.owegopennysaver.com\/PS\/2019\/06\/08\/heroes-honored-and-remembered\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Heroes Honored and Remembered - Owego Pennysaver Press\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Court Street Bridge and Tioga County Veterans Memorial Park in Owego, N.Y. were adorned in red, white and blue flags and wreaths for the...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"http:\/\/www.owegopennysaver.com\/PS\/2019\/06\/08\/heroes-honored-and-remembered\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Owego Pennysaver Press\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/The-Owego-Pennysaver-49179420591\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-06-08T11:21:26+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2019-06-08T11:21:37+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/www.greenstreetdata.com\/PS\/owego\/files\/2019\/06\/Memorial19.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"4308\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"3327\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"psadvert\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"psadvert\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.owegopennysaver.com\/PS\/2019\/06\/08\/heroes-honored-and-remembered\/\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/www.owegopennysaver.com\/PS\/2019\/06\/08\/heroes-honored-and-remembered\/\",\"name\":\"Heroes Honored and Remembered - Owego Pennysaver Press\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.owegopennysaver.com\/PS\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.owegopennysaver.com\/PS\/2019\/06\/08\/heroes-honored-and-remembered\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.owegopennysaver.com\/PS\/2019\/06\/08\/heroes-honored-and-remembered\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"http:\/\/www.greenstreetdata.com\/PS\/owego\/files\/2019\/06\/Memorial19.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-06-08T11:21:26+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2019-06-08T11:21:37+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.owegopennysaver.com\/PS\/#\/schema\/person\/e03684194434956dfb61f5ffcbc19492\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.owegopennysaver.com\/PS\/2019\/06\/08\/heroes-honored-and-remembered\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"http:\/\/www.owegopennysaver.com\/PS\/2019\/06\/08\/heroes-honored-and-remembered\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.owegopennysaver.com\/PS\/2019\/06\/08\/heroes-honored-and-remembered\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/www.greenstreetdata.com\/PS\/owego\/files\/2019\/06\/Memorial19.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"http:\/\/www.greenstreetdata.com\/PS\/owego\/files\/2019\/06\/Memorial19.jpg\",\"width\":4308,\"height\":3327,\"caption\":\"Beautiful blue skies and warm sunshine brought out a good-sized crowd to downtown Owego, N.Y. for the annual Memorial Day parade and Remembrance Ceremony on May 27. 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