Harvey C. Noone American Legion Post #954 led the Memorial Day remembrance ceremony and parade for our fallen service members in Churchville. The master of ceremony (MC), Colonel (Retired) Ken Juergens, Commander of Post 954, welcomed the community members, honored guests and children at the Churchville Elementary School, the beginning of the parade route.
The Grand Marshal of the parade was Steve Brew, who represents the 12th District in the Monroe County Legislature, which encompasses the Towns of Riga and Wheatland, and also includes portions of the Towns of Chili and Henrietta. He was elected in 2015 and re-elected in 2019 and 2021. Brew is the current Majority Leader for the Republican Majority Caucus and serves as a member of the Agenda/Charter, Transportation, and Ways and Means Committee.
The ceremony started with the playing of the National Anthem and followed by Girls State Representatives, Mae Ennis and Lilly Stewart, who led the group in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. Then the MC recited the names of servicemen and women who died in the evacuation out of Afghanistan (all in their twenties) so they will not be forgotten along with Churchville’s own fallen members. Commander Juergens then introduced the guest speaker, Jarrett Swierk, a current Churchville-Chili High School senior who recently earned his Eagle Scout award and is a member of the National Honor Society. Jarrett will be attending RIT for computer engineering. He spoke on the importance of Memorial Day, how his generation can honor veterans everyday, and then related his own family’s military service in our country’s wars. The High School band played patriotic music, under the guidance of Ms Allison Chipman.
Many organizations participated in the parade, including the fire department, boy, cub and girl scouts, Village and Town leaders, Gates Chili Bagpipers, the Lions Club, the United Congregational Church of Christ, the Auxiliary Unit 954, Sons of the American Legion, and American Legion Post 954. The residents of Churchville and Riga observed the parade as it passed by with the Auxiliary distributing American flags and candy to the children.
The parade ended at the Creekside Cemetery at the Local Civil War monument. A concluding ceremony included the placing of a wreath by Auxiliary President Ann Plucknette, firing a rifle salute, and the playing of Amazing Grace by the bagpipers. Reverend David Branch of the First Congregational Church of Riga gave the invocation at the earlier ceremony and the benediction at the cemetery.
Legion Parade Marshall, Geoff Larson, helped to organize the day’s events and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department provided security and traffic control.
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