Rain canceled the parade, but it could not cancel the purpose.

The Palmerton United Veterans Organization moved its annual Memorial Day ceremony indoors Monday, gathering inside St. John Neumann Regional School’s gymnasium to honor the 72 men from the borough who gave their lives in service to their country. Names from the Civil War through Vietnam were read aloud, and original telegrams, a chaplain’s letter and old newspaper clippings brought three of those men into vivid focus.

“We cannot in our tribute today even describe the initial shock, sorrow, and lifelong loss and grief for the families of these heroes,” Steve Vlossak, master of ceremonies, told those assembled. “What we all can and should do is always remember, never forget them and all those across our great nation that have given their lives and made the ultimate sacrifice for our democracy, our freedom, our values, and our liberty.”

Mayor Bo Rodriguez tied the solemnity of the day to the nation’s semiquincentennial — 250 years since the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.

“Today we are reminded of those over the past 250 years who made the ultimate sacrifice defending the same document and the ideals it represents — life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” Rodriguez said. “May their ultimate sacrifice never be forgotten, and may God bring comfort, strength, and peace to the families and loved ones they left behind.”

A telegram, a letter, a life

Among the ceremony’s most affecting moments was the reading of correspondence received by the family of Tech Sgt. Walter W. Kovalenko, a Palmerton native and 1939 graduate of S.S. Palmer High School killed April 22, 1944, while serving with the Army Air Corps in England.

His parents, who also had two other sons serving in the war, received the standard War Department telegram before a letter arrived from the chaplain of Kovalenko’s unit.

“It is always sad when you provide a letter of this nature, but sadness is somewhat alleviated by being able to say that your son was very highly thought of among his fellows,” the chaplain wrote. “He died gallantly in the active defense of all that we hold dear, so that your sorrow may be mingled with pride in his sacrifice and his achievements.”

A November 1944 edition of The Morning Call was also read aloud, detailing the death of Capt. Stephen Bohunicky, a 1934 S.S. Palmer graduate and member of Sacred Heart Church who rose from private to captain and was killed Nov. 13, 1944, in France. He had been awarded the Bronze Star for service during military operations from July 28 to Aug. 10, 1944, and is buried at Lorraine American Cemetery in St. Avold, France.

The reading carried personal weight for Vlossak.

“Steve Bohunicky was my father’s best friend in high school,” Vlossak said, “and when I was born, I was named after him.”

A second newspaper account told the story of Pfc. David Bartholomew of Kresgeville, a 1966 Pleasant Valley High School graduate who was fatally wounded in 1968 in Cu Chi, Vietnam, after only about three months in-country. He had been drafted the previous October.

Bartholomew was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star for heroism — he had rescued a wounded comrade and dragged him to safety before sustaining his own mortal wounds. He also received two Purple Hearts and a Good Conduct Medal.

Quilts of Valor

Four local veterans were awarded Quilts of Valor during the ceremony.

“The tops and colors represent the diversity of the individual who receives it,” Pat Piasecki, local Quilts of Valor Foundation representative, said. “The center represents the hope that each quilt brings comfort, peace, and healing, and the backing represents the strength of the individual and the support of their family, their friends, our community, and our nation. Quilts of Valor are always quilted, not tied. They are awarded, not just passed out. They are an expression of appreciation for the sacrifices that veterans and their families have made.”

The four recipients were Christopher Olivia, who served as a rifleman and radioman with the Second Battalion, First Marines, and attained the rank of corporal in Vietnam; Dennis Kirchinger, a military intelligence analyst with the 525th Military Intelligence Group in Vietnam who attained the rank of Private First Class; Peter Zellers, a sergeant who served in Fort Knox and West Germany and later enlisted in the Army National Guard in Tamaqua; and Floyd Gruber Jr., an airman who served as a jet engine mechanic at bases in France and Vietnam with the 460th Field Maintenance Squadron.

“These men stepped forward to protect our country, defending the freedoms we all cherish,” Palmerton American Legion Post 269 Vice Commander Joseph Uhank said. “Their dedication, courage, and selfless commitment form the foundation of our nation’s strength and security.”

An organization stretched thin

The veterans group that organized the ceremony has seen its ranks thin significantly in recent years.

Commander Ed Moyer noted the organization once numbered more than 1,000 members and is now approaching 100, with roughly 25 actively involved.

“Most of us are in our 70s,” he said. “We are grateful for new members and new help. If you have an interest in being part of our group, see one of us after the service, or check us out on Facebook — the Palmerton United Veterans Organization.”

Poppies, pins and performances

Dawson O’Donnell, 8, was named Miss Poppy 2026, and Sawyer Sutton, 7, was named Palmerton American Legion Mascot. Both are students at S.S. Palmer Elementary School.

Veterans from every branch of service received special pins marking the nation’s 250th anniversary. They were called forward in order of each branch’s founding, beginning with the Army, established June 14, 1775, and concluding with the Space Force, established Dec. 20, 2019.

The Palmerton Area High School band performed several times during the ceremony. Dillon Borger, a senior at Palmerton Area High School, read “In Flanders Fields,” the World War I poem. Vladimir Kotow, an eighth grader, performed “America the Beautiful.”

Rodriguez also pointed to a Flag Day celebration coming to Palmerton’s borough park in the weeks ahead, featuring a bald eagle presentation, a flag-folding demonstration, fireworks and other events — all, he said, in honor of “the 72 soldiers from Palmerton, Pennsylvania, who lost their lives fighting for this great country.”

Following the ceremony, organizers invited those present to help practice the folding of a flag donated by Retired Sgt. Maj. Daniel Dailey.