LeMars Globe-Post
May 25, 1967

ADD 48 FLAGS (TOTAL 214) TO LEGION’S AVENUE

Members of Wasmer Post, American Legion, LeMars, today announced there are 214 flags at the present time to be dedicated on Memorial Day at the Avenue of Flags on the court house lawn.

Last year 166 flags were dedicated.

FORTY-EIGHT additional flags have been received within the past week. They are those of:

• Elmer Rosendahl, Ronald Carey, Fred Madison, Val Schinders, James E. Swisher, Frank Kemp, Henry Lewis, Herman Rasar, Paul A. Brauch, Wilbur H. Ellis, John Ferguson, William Huber, Adolph Buryanek, Edward W. Peterson
• Viggo Peterson, Lawrence, Getchell, Donald Eder, Fay Terpenning, Pete Von Hagel, Elmer Atwood, Joe Crockrell, Vernard Small, Donald Victor Rickabaugh, James Elliott, Elmer J. Featherston, William Dambrink Sr., Edward (Ted) Ress
• Frank B. Sudmeyer, William Huckle, Edward A Mockler, Harold W. Dickison, Laverne Moslander, Bernard McHale, Arnold Klemme, Chris Beeck, Joe Lewis, Wayne Crowley, Elmer Edward Young, Albert Gerhard Weber
• John Fabian Hoffman, Mense Ommen, Jacob B. Anderson, Curtis G. Norris, Nick Majeres, Leo Hentges, William Buss, Joseph P. Mohan, and William H. Norris.

Fred Riter of Wasmer Post said much work remains to be done this week in preparation for the Memorial Day services.

THE BIG CHANGE this year in traditional ceremonies for the annual Memorial Day observance in LeMars will be that one service will be conducted on the court house lawn and services at the two cemeteries will not be held.

The parade will be held as in other years, but it will march to the court house. It is expected services at the court house will bein at 10 a.m.

Mr. Riter said a new method of dedication of individual flags has been devised and it is expected this ceremony will take approximately 45 minutes.

PARADE TIME is set for 9:30 a.m., leaving city hall. The column will march south down Central Ave., turn east at Plymouth St., and then south again on Fourth Ave. SE to the court house.

The beautiful Avenue of Flags—now composed of over 214 burial flags of deceased war veterans—and its reverent ceremonies, military deployment, city band music and speakers have re-vitalized interest throughout the community in this part of the Memorial Day observance.

Graves will be decorated at both cemeteries before the court house ceremonies.

LeMars Daily Sentinel
May 29, 1967

LE MARS LEGION POST TO DEDICATE FLAGS AT MEMORIAL DAY CEREMONIES

Memorial Day services Tuesday are scheduled to begin with a parade at 9:30 a.m., forming in front of the police station.

Frank Scholer, former Plymouth County sheriff, will be parade marshal.

THE PARADE WILL move south from the city building on Central Ave. to Plymouth St., east to Fourth Ave. and south on Fourth Ave. to the court house, where all ceremonies will take place this year.

Fred Riter of Wasmer Post, American Legion, said there are 222 flags of war veterans to be dedicated this year. It is expected the Avenue of Flags program will begin by 10 a.m.

In case of rain in the morning, the program will be held in the afternoon, around 2 p.m. Radio announcements will be made.

“THIS YEAR, the street north of the court house will be blocked off to give folks a better view of the ceremonies,” Wasmer Post Commander Ken Lubben said.

Some park benches will be put out and folks are invited to bring their camp stools or lawn furniture.

In addition to the Avenues of Flags, additional flags will be placed in clusters between the avenues. Each cluster will be a circle, with one flag in the center surrounded by eight flags.

Program will begin with the lighting of the eternal flame by LaVern Schleis on the court house steps.

INVOCATION WILL be offered by Rev. Joseph Kerwin, assistant pastor of St. James Catholic Church and Wasmer Post chaplain.

Wreath presentation will be made by veterans of four wars:

• First World War, Rueben Schneider
• Second World War, John Kilpatrick
• Korean War, Dick Hoss
• Vietnam War, Fred Haring.

Posting of flags will be by Co. A. Iowa National Guard. “Star Spangled Banner” will be played by the Municipal band under the direction of Phil Hauan.

MAIN ADDRESS will be by Fred Missal of Garner who is Hancock County Assessor and past commander of the legion post at Garner. He is district governor of the Lions Club and has written for the Des Moines Register and Mason City Globe Gazette. He has attended national conventions of the American Legion.

Benediction will be by Father Joseph Kerwin. Salute of the firing squad and taps will end the ceremonies.

The evening program will begin at 6:30 p.m. with the band concert by the Municipal band and retiring of flags on the court house lawn.

LeMars Daily Sentinel
May 30, 1967

FLAG RITES WASHED OUT BY RAIN

Despite intermittent rains, cold and disagreeable weather Tuesday morning, LeMars honored war veterans at ceremonies at cemeteries where flags were placed at graves.

The downtown parade and dedication of over 200 flags of veterans was postponed.

“WEATHER PERMITTING, the flags will be dedicated and posted Sunday at 2 p.m.,” Ken Lubben, Wasmer Post commander of LeMars said.

He added there will be no parade, but the eternal flame will be lighted and names of veterans will be read as the flags are placed on standards which have been in place on the court house lawn since Monday evening.

Commander Lubben said flags were not displayed because weather conditions Tuesday would have ruined some of the older flags which people treasure. He explained larger flags would not blow dry, as the smaller flags do.

“IF THESE FLAGS were left out in the weather the entire day, they would have to be dired for two weeks,” he said.

The city of LeMars also did not post flags as is the usual procedure for Memorial Day.

Memorial Day services were held at Carey Gym following a vehicle parade in which dignitaries rode.

Speaker was Fred Missal, chaplain of American Legion post at Garner. He spoke on the need of Memorial Day services.

“It is a day set apart when we should pause to remember the many wars and skirmishes that have become a part of our glorious history,” he said.

“PEACE WITH HONOR should be this year’s title, as we participate in military services to buy the freedom we now enjoy. Over 300,000 veterans of all wars live in Iowa. There have been some 31 million men and women who have served our country in all wars from the Revolutionary through the Korean Conflict and the present Vietnam War,” Mr. Missal said.

“Memorial Day 1967 should be a golden, opportune moment to search for peace. Let there be peace on earth and please God, let it begin with me,” the speaker implored.

LeMars Daily Sentinel, June 1, 1967

COLOR GUARD of Wasmer Post, American Legion, stands at attention.
Men of the unit (from let) are LaVern Schleis, Ervin Criswell, Leonard Schleis, George Kilker & Leo Flaherty.