Bay Legion has full slate of activities for Veterans Day
The Bay Village American Legion Post is celebrating 65 years in the Post home on Cahoon Road. Converted from a barn in 1951, it was updated by Post tradesmen who added electricity, running water, kitchen and bathroom facilities. The red, white and blue box on the front of the building is where residents can deposit old, faded and torn flags for honorable retirement anytime throughout the year. Photo by Jim Potter
The Bay Village American Legion Post #385 has a week of events planned to celebrate Veterans Day.
On Monday, Nov. 7, the Legion members, under the leadership of Post Commander Stan Zeager, will present prize bingo with the patients at Wade Park Veterans Hospital. Legionnaires accompanied by members of the St. Paul Military Support Group will journey to the hospital and call bingo and give out prizes as part of the Ohio Gifts for Yanks program. The St. Paul group prepares homemade treats, while the Legion provides cider and lemonade. Approximately 50 veterans attend the bingo sessions.
Next, joining with the Bay Village Community Band in a “Salute to Veterans” concert on Wednesday, Nov. 9, the Legion will provide the color guard. The concert will be held at Bay Middle School beginning at 7 p.m. The community band will play musical tributes to all branches of the military in this annual event.
On Veterans Day, Friday, Nov. 11, the Legion will conduct their semi-annual flag retirement ceremony at their Post home beginning at 6:30 p.m. The post retired over 2,500 flags last Flag Day. Many of the flags were supplied by local cemeteries. Most people don’t know that a flag once put on a grave cannot be used to decorate another grave. New flags must be used each year. These flags need to be honorably retired each year and the Legion performs this obligation. The flags are retired using full military protocol. Residents with old, faded or torn flags can bring them to the Post at 695 Cahoon Road in Westlake, where there is a collection box on the front of the building.
The local Legion installs over 700 flags at Evergreen, Maple Ridge and St. Paul cemeteries in Westlake and at Lakeside Cemetery and the Rose Garden in Bay Village. Flags are placed on the graves of veterans by the group each Memorial Day.
On Saturday, Nov. 12, the Legion will dedicate bronze burial markers at the St. Paul Lutheran Cemetery on Detroit Road in Westlake. Four veterans who were buried at the cemetery since 2014 will have their graves identified with a bronze marker. A program for the event includes addresses by Pastor Ron Young and Legion Americanism Chairman James Potter. This is followed by the reading of the names of the veterans being honored. A bell is rung after each name is read and then a 21-gun salute is performed. The program concludes with the playing of taps by Post bugler Ron Lundmark.
The public is invited to attend any and all of these events; all veterans are especially encouraged to attend.