American Legion Post 316, Summit Hill, will hold its traditional Memorial Day services on Monday, beginning at 10 a.m. in Ludlow Park in the center of the community.

The service will be followed by an 11 a.m. start of the Summit Hill Memorial Day Parade, Carbon County’s largest tribute to our military.

The main speaker for the service will be former Summit Hill Mayor Paul R. McArdle Sr., who retired in January after serving for 20 years in that position. An Army veteran, McArdle served as a radio teletype operator with the 24th Signal Battalion before his discharge in 1965.

He is a life member of Post 316, where he is a past commander and a past adjutant. He is also a life member of AMVETS, Nesquehoning VFW Post 8008, 24th Infantry Division Association and Marine Corps League No. 626.

W. Kevin O’Donnell, past commander of Post 316, will be the master of ceremonies, which will begin with welcoming remarks by McArdle’s successor, Mayor Jeffrey J. Szczecina.

The invocation will be asked by the Rev. John Mylecraine, pastor of the United Methodist Church, Summit Hill.

The guest speaker will then conduct the POW-MIA ceremony, followed by orations by Panther Valley High School students Mergim Bushati, Logan’s General Order; Brenna McAndrew, “In Flanders Field”; and Trey McAndrew, Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.

Following the main address by McArdle, Post 316 Chaplain Gregory Miller will read the roll call of soldiers who passed away since last year’s Memorial Day, followed by taps and the rifle salute by the Post 316 honor guard. PVHS student Nick Surotchak, a bugler, and a drummer from the school band will provide the accompaniment.

Stephen Figura, a veteran of the Vietnam War who has been selected to be the grand marshal of the parade, will offer brief remarks.

O’Donnell will offer closing remarks and the program will conclude with the benediction by Mylecraine.

Figura will ring the old former Summit Hill High School bell that sits in Ludlow Park to signal the start of the 2022 parade.

Reagan Jones, daughter of Brad and Erinn Jones of Summit Hill, will serve as the 2022 Poppy Queen for the program.

No White Bear service

The Legion announced it will not conduct the traditional Sunday service it normally holds at St. Joseph Cemetery, White Bear, but will read the roll call there at 1 p.m. May 29, followed by the Legion’s firing squad providing the salute to veterans.