Area Communities Observe Memorial Day
With rain threatening, Barnesville’s Annual Program was moved to the Barnesville Fire Station Monday morning. Over 100 citizens attended the program featuring speaker Lawrence “Larry” C. Graham, III, a resident of Sandy Ridge and a decorated veteran of the Vietnam War and Dessert Storm conflict.
In addition to Graham’s address, local veteran Lori Keylor Wehr outlined a history of the Memorial Day holiday and the sacrifice of over 1 million U.S. armed forces members who paid the ultimate price for our freedom.
Wehr thanked volunteers including the Somerton 4-H club who assisted the veterans’ groups placing American Flags upon the graves at area cemeteries. She also thanked Legion Auxiliary and Legion Riders members for their work on landscaping and flowers at Veterans’ Plaza.
At the conclusion of Graham and Wehr’s comments, local honor guard members shot off a 21-gun salute in memory of those lost and all deceased veterans.
Barnesville Council president Tony Johnson also addressed those present on behalf of the village while local teacher Corey Powell provided the invocation and benediction.
Surrounding Communities
The Batesville American Legion’s Memorial Day parade was cancelled due to weather concerns.
The Village of Belmont’s parade and program was profiled by WTRF – TV 7. Belmont County Commissioner J.P. Dutton was the featured speaker. The parade that preceded the 10:00 program included the Union Local High School Band.
“A special ceremony was held today in Belmont County to honor and celebrate the men and women who sacrificed their lives to keep our country free. The American Legion Post 312 in Belmont, Ohio, hosted its annual Memorial Day parade and ceremony on Monday to honor all the veterans who are no longer with us. The parade traveled throughout the town and ended at Belmont Cemetery, where a brief ceremony was held”. (WTRF)
Bethesda’s Memorial Day Observance included a parade featuring the Union Local High School marching Band and a program at the Municipal Plaza.
A Chicken BBQ Dinner sponsored by the Bethesda VFD also took place. Financial sponsors of the meal included Woodsfield Savings Bank, WestRock, Bradio Memorials, Diperna Electric Security & Surveillance LLC, Joe’s Tires, Clark/CFM Express Loading Zone, BMI Cattle Co., Greg Bahmer, Linda Reeves and Clifford Collins.
While Beallsville’s observance took place on traditional Memorial Day, May 30, the community was in the news, locally and nationally because of a mural painted by Scott Hagan, also known as “The Barn Artist”. The mural is in memory of the six Beallsville young men who were lost during the Vietnam War, the most loss per-capita of any community in the nation.
Hagan posted that the barn located on SR 145 just outside of the village “is owned by Ray and Kris Campbell”. The project, underway for several months, took six days to paint. The mural is visible at night thanks to flood lights. By the evening of Memorial Day Hagan reported the image, found on Facebook was viewed over a half a million times.
WTRF also featured the memorial noting “During the Vietnam War, Beallsville, Ohio, had the highest casualty rate in the United States, losing six young men from a community of roughly 400.
“These soldiers, who have become known as the Beallsville Six, have been memorialized throughout the years, most recently by a local artist known as the Barn Artist, Scott Hagan. Hagan honors the soldiers with six silhouettes, naming each young man Jack Pittman, Duane Greenlee, Charles Schnegg, Richard Rucker, Robert Lucas, and Phillip Brandon.
“According to Hagan, the tribute barn, owned by Ray and Kris Campell of Beallsville, Ohio- sits on the east side of SR 145 near Beallsville Park. Other sites that honor the fallen soldiers are the Beallsville Cemetery entrance with plaques and banners and a display at the American Legion.
