(Posted Nov. 1, 2018)
By Kristy Zurbrick, Madison Editor
The following Veterans Day services and programs are planned in Madison County and South Charleston.
London
At 6 p.m. Nov. 11, American Legion Post 105 will serve its annual Veterans Day dinner for members, their families and guests. To make reservations, call (740) 852-9196. The post is located at 51 E. First St. in London.
The United Veterans Organization will participate in a Veterans Day program on Nov. 12 at London High School, 336 Elm St. The veterans will assemble at 10 a.m. The program is open to the public. The United Veterans Organization includes Amvets Chapter 19, Disabled American Veterans Chapter 93, American Legion Post 105 and Vietnam Veterans Chapter 746.
Madison County Senior Center
The Madison County Senior Center will host a Veterans Day program at noon on Nov. 9. Sherry Ems, executive director of United Service Organizations (USO) Central and Southern Ohio, is the guest speaker. The USO is a non-profit organization that keeps military service members connected to family, home and country throughout their service.
The senior center’s chimes group will play songs to honor veterans. All veterans who visit the center Nov. 9 will receive a free lunch; lunch is served from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The center is located at 280 W. High St., London. For more information, call (740) 852-3001.
Mount Sterling
Mount Sterling American Legion Post 417 will hold a Veterans Day Service at 11 a.m. Nov. 11 on the town square. All veterans and the public are invited to attend. Veterans who wish to participate are asked to arrive by 10:30 a.m.
The American Legion’s Auxiliary Unit will serve a free dinner for any veteran and a guest on Nov. 11 at the post, 27 Clark St., Mount Sterling. The social hours begins at 5 p.m., followed by dinner at 6. The menu will be ham, sides, and cake. Sixth District Commander Roy Terry is the guest speaker.
Plain City
Plain City American Legion Post 248 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Darby Post 3268 will host a memorial program at 10:30 a.m. Nov. 12 in the gymnasium at Plain City Elementary, 580 S. Chillicothe St., Plain City. Special parking will be available to those who attend. The program is open to the public.
M/Sgt. Jeffrey K. Lucas, 57, will serve as the guest speaker. Lucas enlisted in the military while in high school in 1979 at the 160th Air Refueling Group at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base. He initially served as a computer operator using a Honeywell computer and punch cards.
Through the National Guard’s tuition reimbursement program, Lucas graduated from The Ohio State University with a dual major in computer science and accounting. Upon graduation, he worked at Ernst & Whinney, an international accounting firm, as a certified public accountant on their audit staff.
Lucas left Ernst & Whinney to start his own accounting firm and enrolled at Capital University Law School in 1996 to obtain his law degree. Upon graduating from Capital University in 2000, he started a law firm. In 2006, he reenlisted in the Air National Guard.
For additional information, contact Bernie Vance at (614) 570-2962.
West Jefferson
Norwood Elementary, 899 Norwood Dr., West Jefferson will honor veterans with a ceremony at the school flagpole at 9:45 a.m. Nov. 12.
Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts will lead the “Pledge of Allegiance.” Third- through fifth-grade students will sing “The Star Spangled Banner.” Fifth-graders will share their essays on “What America Means To Me.” Guest speakers are Brig. Gen. Maria Kelly and Lt. Col. Mitchell Gargac. Representatives from Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7005 and American Legion Post 201 will participate in the ceremony. The West Jefferson color guard will perform a 21-gun salute. A performance of “Taps” will bring the ceremony to a close. The public is welcome to attend. For details, call the school at (614) 879-7642.
South Charleston
Several opportunities are slated to honor veterans in South Charleston.
The Southeastern Local School District invites area veterans to Veteran’s Day observances on Nov. 9 at both of the district’s buildings.
Miami View Elementary at 230 Clifton Road, South Charleston, will hold their event at 9 a.m. The assembly at Southeastern Junior and Senior High, 195 E. Jamestown St., South Charleston, will be at 2 p.m.
Both assemblies will feature patriotic music and recognition of veterans in attendance.
South Charleston United Methodist Church, located at the corner of Jamestown and Church streets, will honor all veterans during the 9:30 a.m. worship service on Nov. 11. Highlights of this service will include special patriotic music, a multi-media salute to veterans, and recognition of all veterans present.
A social time with light refreshments will follow the service. The church invites all area veterans and those presently serving to attend. The community is invited to attend, as well.
For more information, call the church at (937) 462-8043 or Kim Owens at (937) 462-8709.
