There was both celebration and mourning in the Sullivan County town of Liberty on Memorial Day, as a festive Main Street parade in the morning gave way to a somber ceremony of rememberance at the Sullivan County Veterans Cemetery.
All photos by Watershed Post correspondent Jason Dole.
An excited youth runs out to greet a veteran at Liberty’s Memorial Day Parade. Riding shotgun: Assemblymember Aileen Gunther.
Liberty’s Boy Scout Troop & Cub Scout Pack 717.
The Girl Scouts of Liberty & Tri-Valley.
Classic Cars like this vintage Thunderbird were a big part of the parade.
Spectators young & old line Main Street, Liberty to watch the parade.
Sullivan County Veterans Cemetery, Liberty.
The Sullivan County Cadet Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol, USAF Auxiliary, serves as color guard at the Sullivan County Memorial Day service.
Members of the143rd New York Volunteer Infantry.
Keynote Speaker Maj. Dan Colvin, Executive Officer of the Marine Aircraft Group 49, Detachment B, Stewart Air National Guard Base.
Bob Blank, Commander, Sullivan County Jewish War Veterans, ushers Gold Star Widow Florika Dima during the Wreath Ceremony. Mrs. Dima wears an image of the late Army Sgt. Catalin D. Dima of White Lake, was killed while serving in Iraq, 2004.
Charles Buchholz, Commander, Sullivan County AM Vets, salutes after laying a wreath
with Gold Star Mother Debra VonRonn. Her son, Sgt. Kenneth G. VonRonn of Bloomingburg was killed while serving in Iraq, 2005.
Dan Ratner, Commander, Sullivan County American Legion, escorts Kimberly Kropat and Courtney Timmons, sisters of Army Pfc. Jason M. Kropat. Originally from White Lake, Kropat was killed while serving in Afghanistan, 2010.
The 143rd New York Volunteer Infantry salutes deceased veterans with three volleys.
Richard and Barbara Stewart of Neversink. Richard served in the 1st Armored 82nd Airborne, 25th Infantry.
John S. Mahoney of Swan Lake, retired from the Army and the NYPD, takes a break from assisting the training of West Point cadets in unconventional warfare.
This retired M-60 A3 tank, dubbed “VonRonn’s Express” after Sgt. Kenneth VonRonn, overlooks families visiting the Sullivan County Veterans Cemetery on Memorial Day, 2012.
