A memorial service to honor the Fallen Heroes from Franklin Township will be held on 9/11.

The event will take place at 10 a.m. Sept. 11 at Phifer’s Ice Dam, according to Brenda Eckley.

Eckley noted the monument was originally at Franklin Elementary, and each year the school honored these men. When the school closed, the school district gifted the monument to the township.

She said the Franklin Lions got involved and stripped the monument of all metals and the plaque, had them all polished up, and Tim Seltzer from Seltzer’s Landscaping built a new monument at Phifers to honor these men.

Eckley said the monument was dedicated on June 23, 2019 with a special service.

Now located at Phifer’s Ice Dam, the memorial 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.

Eckley noted that last year’s service was canceled due to COVID.

The committee consists of Hill and two of his former students from the ’80s, Reese Badman and Pastor Jennifer Blose Eckhart, along with Eckley, a former student, a former paraprofessional at Franklin Elementary and a niece of one of the soldiers.

“I stood proudly through many programs held at Franklin Elementary to honor these heroes,” Eckley said. “It was one of the best lessons our students were ever taught. Each year, the whole school participated in the service, whether it was singing, speaking or reciting a poem.

Eckley explained the purpose of the event.

“Our committee’s goal is to continue this tradition of teaching the youth about these hometown heroes, and to never forget what they did for our country,” she said. “I have over 36 former students involved in this year’s program, along with 10-plus family members of these fallen soldiers.”

Eckley noted that the family members are something new added to the program since its new home at Phifer’s.

“Sadly, some of these families never knew their loved ones were being honored each year at Franklin Elementary, and we felt the need to include them, too,” she said.

Eckley said the service will be held annually at 10 a.m. on the second Saturday.

“It used to be Memorial Day weekend, but the committee agreed with September hoping more can attend when school is back in session and people aren’t vacationing,” she said. “We are looking for more volunteers to help with the planning of future services.”