Honor Guard, firing squad pay tribute to veterans in Medina
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Veterans from the American Legion and VFW in Medina prepare to conduct services for the first time at the cannon in State Street Park on Veterans Day.
MEDINA – Honoring veterans has been a tradition for the American Legion and VFW posts in Medina for decades.
Each Veterans Day, several dozen members of the local posts visit all the memorials in Medina, including the Vietnam Veterans Memorial at the American Legion, the Company F Memorial in front of Medina Armory (now the YMCA), the Korean War Memorial on Park Avenue, the tank in front of Oak Orchard Elementary School and the Butts-Clark Memorial in Butts Park on South Main Street.
This is the first year the veterans haven’t visited the veterans’ plot at Boxwood Cemetery. Also, for the first time this year, the veterans fired a tribute at the historic cannon in State Street Park, which was restored a year ago.
The ceremony at each memorial included a reading by David Kusmierczak, playing of Taps by Don Hinman, and a three-gun salute.
Typically, Veterans’ Day would begin with breakfast at the VFW, but because of Covid, that was discontinued this year.
Jim Freas, front, addresses the Honor Guard as they prepare to fire at the Vietnam Memorial at the American Legion in Medina. The Legion and VFW have fired at all the memorials in Medina on every Veterans Day for years.
Dave Kusmierczak salutes after reading a tribute to veterans in front of the Company F Memorial on Wednesday morning.
Don Hinman plays Taps for ceremonies at the veterans’ memorials in Medina on Memorial Day. He plays here at the cannon in State Street Park.
Members of the American Legion and VFW in Medina fire a tribute at the Company F Memorial in front of Medina Armory (Orleans County YMCA) on Wednesday morning.
