Victoria Lear, a middle-school Northern Lehigh student, opened the 73rd Slatedale Memorial program as she has done for six years with "The Star-Spangled Banner."

"It is an honor to be here. We invoke the spirit of God as we honor the people who protect our country," said the Rev. James D. Robison Jr. of Good Shepherd United Church of Christ, Slatedale.An offering was taken by Boy Scouts and Cub Pack 58 which goes to support the cemetery. While the collection was taken, the combined choir Holy Trinity Lutheran, Good Shepherd UCC, St. Peter's United Methodist and Salem United Methodist sang "It is Well With My Soul" with Linda Eberhardt playing the keyboard.American Legion Allen O. Delke Post 16 performed its ceremony including a rifle salute and taps. Dennis Ziegler, president of the Memorial Day committee, led the program.He said, "They fought for us, for us they fell. Now with one accord in deepest reverence we do them honor. Let us not remember them in anguish, they would not want our pity. For their sakes let us not forget the loved ones left behind. … The whole world, because of what they gave, is in debt to them."The Rev. Josh Knappenberger of Zion Blue Mountain UCC, Strausstown, chose the Bible readings. The first was Psalm 91, known as the Soldier's Psalm.Knappenberger was raised in Slatington. After high school he joined the U.S. Army and served with a ceremonial unit, The Old Guard, in Washington, D.C.The title of his talk was Grace, Mercy and Peace.We have called our warriors samurai, braves, soldiers, sailors, Marines, he said. PTSD is not present in many tribal cultures but in the civilized world. In the tribe their return is a happy thing. The tribe shared how they felt and they quickly reintegrated with the rest of the tribe. The stories are appreciated into the culture. Without reintegration their healing cannot be complete.But one Vietnam vet felt his soul was sitting next to him on another chair. By God's grace we are separated from our sins.Mercy is about the present, time for the soldier to be merciful to themselves for the things they have done that were not under their control.And finally there is peace for the future, which can only be achieved by telling stories about a traumatic incident. Returning military in World War II and Korea were met with celebration, but Vietnam veterans did not receive any of that. One day when the cost of military insurance came up, someone muttered, "Just another way this war is costing us.""You have heard the term 'Support the soldier but not the war,' which denigrates the importance of the war and what was done. What is really needed is the stories the release of horror. I challenge you to ask for their stories. It is the final, most difficult part of their service," said Knappenberger.