A memorial service originally scheduled to be held May 24 at the Franklin Township Killed In Action Memorial has been canceled.

Brenda Eckley announced this week that the organizing committee canceled the event for safety reasons due to the coronavirus.

“The committee is asking former Franklin Elementary students to take the time to visit the monument when it is safe,” Eckley said. “Please read the list of soldiers’ names out loud to honor these fine Franklin Township soldiers. If you can place a flower there, it would be a nice thing to do, too.”

Participants scheduled for the service this year will be given the same duties next year, she added.

The memorial, now located at Phifer’s Ice Dam, features a plaque listing the names of military members from the township who were killed in action in past wars. The plaque was taken from the original KIA monument dedicated in 1989 by teacher Larry Hill and his fifth- and sixth-grade students at the former Franklin Elementary.

“The goal of those fifth- and sixth-graders was to never forget these brave men who sacrificed their life for our country,” Eckley said. “A virus isn’t going to stop us from honoring them.”