A Memorial Day program, featuring a parade and ceremonies, will take place in Manheim on Monday, May 27.
Parade participants should meet at Memorial Field at 9:30 a.m., and the parade will start at 10 a.m. The chief marshal of the parade is VFW life member William King of Manheim VFW 5956. The colors will be presented by members of the National Guard from A Co. 328th BSB, Lebanon, and the firing squad will consist of members of the National Guard from A Co. 328th BSB, Lebanon, under the direction of PAARNG.
Also featured in the parade will be veterans, including those from VFW Post 5956; Col. Frank Montgomery; social members of the Manheim VFW, along with the post's baseball teams; the Manheim Central High School (MCHS) band and football teams; military vehicles from the Pennsylvania National Guard; the Elstonville Riders Group and the Mount Joy Legion Riders; a bagpipe player; Manheim-area Girl and Boy Scouts; Mastersonville Fire Company; Penryn Fire Company; and Manheim Memorial Ambulance.
The parade will travel east on Memorial Drive to East High Street, where it will stop for a brief ceremony at Chiques Creek. It will then continue west on East High Street to Main Street, and flowers will be placed near the Fulton Bank. The parade will continue north on Main Street to Gramby Street and turn east on Gramby Street to the old Manheim Central Middle School for a brief ceremony. After continuing east on Gramby Street, it will conclude at Veterans' Memorial Field, where the ceremonies will take place.
The master of ceremonies will be King, and Manheim VFW chaplain James Waltz will give the invocation. The ceremony will feature Patriot's Pen contestant Megan Garber, Lincoln's Gettysburg Address presented by Peter Brady, speaker Montgomery, Patriot's Pen winner Helen Slacik, the reading of the honor roll by Waltz, Voice of Democracy contestant Lydia Leas Hershberger, "Amazing Grace" by the MCHS band while memorial flowers are being distributed, and the presenting of the poems "In Flanders Fields" and "Freedom Is Not Free" by Tracey Bair and Terry Rohrer, respectively.
Following the closing prayer by Manheim VFW chaplain Amy Horwath, there will be the salute of the firing squad, taps played by MCHS, and "The Star-Spangled Banner."
Montgomery is currently the J3/director of Military Support for the Pennsylvania National Guard. He enlisted into the U.S. Army Reserve in 1991 as an 11B (infantryman). He was awarded an Army Reserve Officer Training Corps Scholarship at Widener University, where he was commissioned a 2LT and earned a bachelor's degree in civil engineering in 1996. He has completed various courses as part of his military education, and he also earned a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College.
Since his commission in the U.S. Army in 1996, Montgomery has served in a variety of assignments. He was assigned to the 213th Area Support Group's mobilization in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Most recently, Montgomery was the chief of staff for the 28th Infantry Division rear detachment while it was deployed overseas in support of Operation Spartan Shield. He has received numerous military awards.
He and his wife, Heather, live in Lancaster with their son, Jack.
Leave a Review