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Scouts celebrate Memorial Day

Cub Scout Pack 21 and Boy Scout Troop 21 have remembered the meaning of Memorial Day and what our country’s flag symbolizes. On May 23 more than 2,000 flags were placed on veterans’ graves at the Montoursville Cemetery. The Pack and Troop worked with the members of American Legion Post 104 in Montoursville during this annual event that has been a tradition since the 1960s.

A Memorial Day ceremony was held on May 29 at the Post with the Scouts presenting poppy wreaths in honor of our fallen heroes.

On June 2, the Pack and Troop held a flag retirement ceremony at their usual meting place, Faith United Methodist Church. The Scouts retired a tattered flag presented by their color guard; members of the Post 104 provided a gun salute.

After retiring the flag, a new flag was presented. Two speakers talked about their experiences while in active duty. Frank Gillis, a Navy chief electronics technician, spoke about four ships named USS Pennsylvania. Dan Reed, a Navy missile technician 1, spoke about nuclear submarines.

The Boy Scouts sang the National Anthem and taps was played by the Troop bugler. Following the ceremony, American flags that were dropped off for disposal at the Post and flags removed and collected from veterans’ graves in past years were retired.

Four fires were tended until the flags were disposed of. Scouts and adult leaders took turns watching them and camped. The grommets from the flags were collected and will be cleaned and presented to veteran members of the Post and the remaining ashes were spread at the Montoursville Cemetery the next morning by participants.

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