CLARKS SUMMIT - Decades after he served in the Vietnam War, Mike McLane on Sunday led fellow veterans through a prayer of remembrance to honor members of the U.S. military who lost their lives while serving the country.
"Today is a special day," said Mr. McLane, the quartermaster at Abington Memorial VFW Post 7069. "We have the opportunity to remember those who served this country but are no longer with us, and we have the opportunity to honor those who are right here in our presence."
On Sunday, dozens of veterans from Post 7069 and their families gathered for a Veterans Day service held at Clarks Summit United Methodist Church, where they sang hymns, read verses from the Bible and shared a moment of silence for their "departed comrades."
The service in Clarks Summit was among the many Veterans Day celebrations in Lackawanna County on Sunday, including a Veterans Day Sing Along Concert at Asbury United Methodist Church in Scranton, a service at the Veterans Memorial monument outside the Throop Municipal Building and a joint ceremony honoring the American Legion Post 513 and VFW Post 4954 at the Old Forge Borough Building.
Standing in front of the crowd of people packed into the Clarks Summit church's pews, Post 7069 Commander Steuart Bailey first thanked all those in attendance, and then read a verse from Ecclesiastes 44.
"There are some of them who have left a name, so as people declare their praise; and there are some who have no memorial, who have perished as though they have not lived," the Korean War veteran read.
"This day means a lot to us all," said Dominic Scott, a Korean War veteran and a councilman in Clarks Summit. "We served for us, but also for the people in this country - so they could have all the rights they have today."
Contact the writer: miorfino@timesshamrock.com, @miorfinoTT on Twitter