The 37th Annual Franklin Township Soldiers K.I.A. (Killed In Action) ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. Saturday at Phifer’s Ice Dam Pavilion.

This year’s guest speakers include Carbon County Commissioner Rocky Ahner, a Franklin Elementary School alumnus; and Larry Ahner, a veteran and also a Franklin alumnus.

Former Franklin teachers Martha Cox, Sydney Zarelli and Angela Harris will give the opening and closing remarks and read the biography of Larry Ahner. Former student Josiah Klotz will read the story of TAPS.

Each of the men whose names appear on the K.I.A. Memorial will be honored as their names are ready aloud along with their area of service, some by members of their families. The soldiers served in the Civil War, World Wars I and II, Korean War and Vietnam War.

Pastor Jen Eckhart and Wesley Tkach will provide music, along with high school student Bella Moyer. Pastor Keith House will offer a prayer.

The committee for this service is Brenda Eckley, Erica Mesaros, Jen Eckhart, Martha Cox, Sydney Zarelli and Emma Sawyer. They urge the community to please come out and help remember and honor these great men who gave their lives for our country.

The Lehighton United Veterans Organization will attend to provide the Color Guard and Rifle Salute.

The K.I.A. Memorial was first created at the Franklin Township Elementary School, a project of Larry Hill, a former fifth-grade teacher at Franklin, who created the monument in 1988 as a project with his social studies students.

Local businessman Tim Seltzer and the Franklin Township Lions Club were instrumental in relocating the monument to its current location at Phifer’s Ice Dam.