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SALEM -- Korean War veteran Don Stapleton will serve as honorary marshal May 28 during the annual Salem Memorial Day Procession.
Retired Colonel U.S. Army Walter M. Duzzny Sr. will serve as speaker during the service to be held at Hope Cemetery.
Vietnam War veteran Mel Lippiatt is the president of the Salem Memorial Patriotic Association which sponsors the event. He said 37 entries are registered for the procession.
The association was formed in 1928 in conjunction with all the veterans organizations in Salem.
“There is joy in Memorial Day that we have freedom in this country that very few other countries have,” Lippiatt said. “But please remember that Memorial Day is not a celebration. It has been set aside as a time to remember all of those that sacrificed their lives for the cause of freedom.
“Our American Flag is a symbol representing the lives and hardships that have been, are and will be needed to maintain freedom. Please remember to show respect for this nation’s flag representing all that have given their lives serving this country. The American Flag is not a decoration but a symbol of the American resolve.”
Lippiatt encourages volunteers to help out this morning to place flags on the graves of veterans in the two city cemeteries beginning with Grandview at 9 a.m. followed by Hope.
Memorial Day activities will begin with a 7:45 a.m. breakfast at St. Paul School for veterans and selected persons involved in the day’s event.
A memorial service will follow at 9 a.m. on the Village Green at the corner of State Street and Lincoln Avenue. An invocation, posting of colors, Pledge of Allegiance, placing of the wreath, volley, Taps and benediction will be held.
At 9:30 a.m., the procession of units will line up. Leading the procession will a police escort followed by the Salem VFW Guard, the Salem High School Marching Band, separate vans carrying the honorary marshal, speaker of the day, Pastor Doug George of the First United Methodist Church, Lippiatt, and President of the Day Doug Brannon followed by the remainder of the procession including the Salem AMVETS Color Guard.
The procession will leave for Hope Cemetery at 10 a.m. and follow a route along East State Street to Lincoln Avenue to the cemetery.
Dave Coy will announce the procession. The Salem Amateur Radio Association will coordinate communications.
Highlights of the service at Hope Cemetery will include recognition of the honorary marshal, public officials and involved organizations; the Salem High School band performing; Zach Tungate of Troop 6 Boy Scouts reading the Gettysburg Address; “In Flanders Field” by the Salem High School Chamber Choir; Response to “In Flanders Field” by Manny Heestand of Troop 6 Boy Scouts; president of the day presenting the speaker; calling of veterans to the mock grave; presentation of the wreath by Mayor John Berlin; poem reading by Gage Brannon; firing of volley by cannon; Taps and benediction.
The Korean War (1950-53) claimed 36,574 American lives, wounded another 102,284 and left 2,830 missing in action. A Salem boy, Don Stapleton was on the front lines during some of the bloodiest and legendary battles of the Korean War: Heartbreak Ridge, Bloody Ridge and Punchbowl. He stayed in Korea until the July 27, 1953 armistice was signed.
Upon his return stateside, Stapleton raised a family with his late wife, Eunice, who passed away in 2011. The Stapletons shared the same birth date, Sept. 3, 1930. He was a 1948 graduate of Salem High School. Eunice was a 1948 Greenford High School graduate. They had three children: Kris, Mike and Rick.
Stapleton, 87, was a longtime employee of Electric Furnace. He later was a trucking salesman and a traffic manager at NRM in Columbiana.
Nearly 60 years after leaving Korea, he returned to that country as an “Ambassador of Peace,” a designation accorded by a grateful South Korean government. An official proclamation he received reads: “It is a great honor and pleasure to express the everlasting gratitude of the Republic of Korea and our people for the service you and your countrymen have performed in restoring and preserving our freedom and democracy. We cherish in our hearts the memory of your boundless sacrifices in helping us reestablish our Free Nation. In grateful recognition of your dedicated contributions, it is our privilege to proclaim you an Ambassador for Peace with every good wish of people of the Republic of Korea. Let each of us reaffirm our mutual respect and friendship that they may endure for generations to come.”
He marveled at the development of South Korea during his 2013 tour, much of which was paid for by the South Korean government.
Speaker of the Colonel Walter M. Duzzny Sr. retired from the U.S. Army after serving 30 years in various commands and staff positions. He received numerous decorations and awards. He is a graduate of the U.S. Army Staff College, the National Industrial Security Institute, the U.S. Army Counter Terrorism Institute, the Army Institute for Professional Development, and, Military Police Officers basic and advance training courses.
The resident of Austintown is married to the former Kathleen Zemko. He is a graduate of Kent College. He is currently president of Emergency Planning Associates, a national consulting firm on safety and security and vice president of JTyler Enterprises LLC, an international motorcycle accessory firm.
He is a retired director of Mahoning County Emergency Management and E911 Operations, Homeland Security. Having served for over 30 years, he has received both national and international certifications in disaster planing and recovery and certification by the National Board of Emergency Management.
He is currently the president of the board for the National Safety Council, Ohio Chapter; president of the Reserve Officers Association, Mahoning Ohio Chapter; and is a past president and a charter founder of the Mahoning-Shenango Valley Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America. He received the prestigious “Ambassador Award.” He serves as public affairs representative for the Dept. of Defense; on the committee for the employee support of the Guard and Reserve; is a member of the Youngstown Air Force Reserve Base Community Council; and is a member of the board of trustees for the Austintown Growth Foundation and American Legion Post 88.
Col. Duzzny is a former instructor for Youngstown State University’s law enforcement academy as well as Kent State University and the Ohio Peace Officers Council and is also a trainer for the National Safety Council.
He is a member of the Masonic Lodge 545 in Canfield and past president and current trustee of St. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
In case of inclement weather, the service will be held in the Kent State Salem City Center.