Post 511 American Legion held the annual Fox Township Memorial Day Service on Monday May 26th 2008 at 9:30 AM.  It was held at the Fox Township Veterans Memorial on Main Street.  The chairman this year was Ron Quagliani. 

Assisting the American Legion was Post 511 Burial Detail and Bucktail Chapter 720 Vietnam Veterans of America and their Honor Guard.

  Those present at the 2008 Memorial Day Service were, SFC Gary Best from the 665th Engineer company and Iraq Veteran wounded in action, Rep. Dan Surra, Representative from the 75th Congressional District, Mike Keller Fox Township Board of Supervisors, Fox Township Ambulance Association, Fox Township Fire Department, Boy Scout Troop 94, Co C 1/112th INF Stryker’s, Father John Kuzilla, Rev. Joan Williams, Mr. Ed Schwer and SMA Middle School Band, Lana Kline Fox Post 511 Club Manager, Torri Wonderly Vocalist, Elizabeth Sheeley Fox Township Elementary School and Ellen Cooney St. Boniface School.

The flags of each branch of military service were presented by, Dave Carter, Gerald Huff, John Erich, Kurt Nyquist, Walter Beck and Joseph Gahr.   Followed by the American Flag raising by David Ninnis and Raymond Gahr from the Burial Detail while vocalist Torrii Wonderly, accompanied by the St. Marys Middle School Band, sang the National Anthem.  MC George Mosier then led the entire group in the pledge of Allegiance.  Reverend Joan Williams from Kersey United Methodist Church gave the invocation followed by the singing of God Bless America by Lana Kline.  Student Elizabeth Sheeley from Fox Twp Elementary School then read a Memorial Day poem.  Representative Dan Surra of Kersey delivered remarks on Memorial Day, commenting to this writer about his Uncle Albert who was killed in action in North Africa in WW II.   Mike Keller representing the Fox Twp. Board of Supervisors spoke on all the wars our nation has been in and the total cost in lives lost.  Ellen Cooney from St. Boniface Catholic School then recited a Memorial Day poem, followed by the St. Marys Area Middle School Band and its rendition of El Capitan.

The guest speaker for this year’s Memorial Day Service was SFC Gary Best who served in Iraq with the 458th Combat Engineers from Brookville.  They are now the 665th Engineer Company.   

SFC Best was wounded in action when his Humvee was ambushed in Iraq killing his driver and wounding two other soldiers.  SFC Best gave a very touching heart felt speech on the true cost of a free nation as he spoke about the incident that took his drivers, his friend, his fellow soldier’s life.  How after two years at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and all he went through in multiple surgeries, the worst was yet to come.  This was when SFC Best traveled to South Carolina to meet with the parents of his killed in action driver.  

As hard as it was for this NCO to recall the happenings of his wounding, that of his fellow soldiers, and the death of this young soldier, it was felt by all present that he did an awesome job of making the point of what Memorial Day is all about.

Craig Singer Post 511 Commander then thanked SFC Best and all who took part in and set up the 2008 Memorial Day Services.  He remarked that courage in battle is not the absence of fear but rather the willingness to act decisively in spite of it and that a young 19 year old soldier from Knox, PA, Ross McGinnis, on December 4th 2006 displayed that willingness to act decisively when he saved the lives of four members of his platoon that were riding with him in his Humvee in Baghdad Iraq.  When a grenade was thrown into the Humvee SPC McGinnis as the turret gunner had the opportunity to jump off the Humvee and save his own life.  Knowing that the four soldiers in the Humvee were not aware of the grenade the young soldier instead jumped down into the vehicle and put his back with his Armor Protection on top of the grenade using it and his body to shield his fellow soldiers from the blast.

 This decisiveness cost SPC McGinnis his life,  but the other four in the Humvee survived.  On June 2nd this soldier’s parents will be presented the Medal of Honor for the unselfish actions their son performed to save his fellow soldiers.

 Mr. Singer also asked all present to remember Co C 1/112th INF Stryker’s who will be deploying to Iraq in January 2009

Closing ceremony consisted of the American Legion Memorial Day Prayer by George Mosier, Post 511 Chaplain, Benediction by Father John Kuzilla, Pastor of St. Boniface Church, General Logan’s Memorial Day Orders read by Steve Miller from the Burial Detail, rifle salute by Post 511 Burial Detail led by SGT Jamie Dowie, and Taps played by Vince Caggiano, Bugler for the Burial Detail.  A luncheon for about 150 members and guests followed at the Legion Post Home in Dagus Mines.