Communities in the area will honor Memorial Day at services Monday.
Park Rapids' Memorial Day Service will start at 9:30 a.m. at the Area High School auditorium. Guest speaker will be Brig. Gen. Jon L. Trost, assistant adjutant general of the Minnesota National Guard.
Brig. Gen. Trost provides guidance and leadership to Army Guard units on personnel strength, training, equipping, operational readiness and safety.
He also works closely with the Department of the Army and National Guard Bureau on policy and resource matters.
A graduate of Moorhead State University, he enlisted as an infantryman and became a commissioned officer through the Minnesota Military Academy June 30, 1974.
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His command experience includes Battery executive officer and commander, Battalion commander of the 1st Battalion (both the 151st and 125th Artillery) and commander of the 34th Division Artillery. For state area command, he served as special projects officer.
He assumed his current duties as assistant adjutant general in July 2004.
Brig. Gen. Trost has earned a long list of awards and decorations, including the Minnesota Medal for Merit, Minnesota Commendation Ribbon, State Active Duty Ribbon and Minnesota Service Ribbon.
He recently retired after more than 32 years as a teacher and department leader for industrial technology at Coon Rapids High School and lives with his wife, Karin, in Champlin.
After a prelude of music by the Park Rapids Area High School Band under the direction of Larry Novak, Bill Gilchrist will play "The Pipes" for the entrance of Gold Star parents Erland and Joyce Alto, Alfred and Erna Kable, Russ Proue, John and Marge Freetly and Robert and Christina Longfors.
The program also includes the call to order by Commander Eugene Anderson of the Park Rapids American Legion, Otto Hendrickson Post 212, an invocation by Chaplain Art Wood and the Armed Forces Salute, played by the Area High School Band.
Donna Walsh, president of the Northwoods Chapter of the Blue Star Mothers of America, will speak followed by the address by Brig. Gen. Trost.
Patricia Arndt will sing a solo before the benediction.
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Following the service, sponsored by the American Legion and Auxiliary, there will be a parade downtown, a floral tribute at the Fish Hook River and a service at All-Veterans Memorial Park, including a flag folding ceremony and flag disposal ceremony.
Service at Menahga
Menahga VFW Post 6206 will be presenting the Memorial Day Service this year at 10 a.m. in the Menahga School auditorium.
The Mistress of Ceremonies will be Jean Weyer, 2006 Minnesota VFW Teacher of the Year. The guest speaker and Master of Ceremonies will be Pastor Steve Bruer of First English Lutheran Church.
A presentation on DVD honoring Vietnam veterans, by Spec. John Johnson of the US Army and 2005 Menahga High School graduate, will be presented followed by the Pledge of Allegiance and the invocation.
Students of Menahga Elementary and Menahga High School will provide the music. During the program, 5th grader Jenny Skoog will sing the "National Anthem" and 4th grader Nicholas Meyer will play "This Land is Your Land" on the piano.
Menahga High School student Megan Cleveland, local winner of the VFW- sponsored writing/radio speech competition, the Voice of Democracy, will give her speech as well. Each year the theme for Voice of Democracy is different. This year's theme is "Freedom's Challenge."
Pastor Bruer will present the roll call of deceased veterans, recognizing veterans who have died in the last year. "Taps" will be played by student Jacob Ylitalo.
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At the Menahga Cemetery, weather permitting, there will be a presentation of the wreath by Mary Jane Paulston.
Akeley VFW
Akeley VFW Post 8505 and VFW Women's Auxiliary will hold Memorial Day observances beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the Akeley Cemetery. This will be followed by services at White Oak Cemetery at 10 a.m., Lemon Cemetery at 10:30 a.m. and Nevis Cemetery at 11:15 a.m.
Pastor Harvey Kietzman will perform the services with son Josh the bugler. All services will include prayer, wreaths, a 21-gun salute and "Taps" in memory of war veterans.
St. John's Lutheran Church in Akeley will hold a veterans recognition service at 9 a.m. Sunday, May 27.
Families of veterans will be presented a white cross.
A ceremony dedicating the flag and flagpole will follow the service.
Program at Laporte
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The Anderson-Black Legion Post and Auxiliary with the Laporte/Benedict VFW will present the annual Memorial Day program at the Laporte Village Hall.
Veterans will visit the Evergreen Cemetery at Kabekona at 9 a.m. and then the Catholic Cemetery on the north side of Laporte.
The program at the Village Hall will begin at 10 a.m. with a short service at the Garfield Lake public landing before the conclusion at the Lakeport Cemetery.
