This Memorial Day in Herkimer County the “Remember Our Fallen Stars” tribute will be unveiled at the Herkimer County Community College Veteran’s Memorial Park.
The ceremony takes place at 12:30 p.m. and the 12 inch by 4 inch mural will display 202 stars bearing the names, ranks and hometowns of the men and women from New York State killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The mural will be updated every six months until the completion of each conflict. The tribute’s home will be at Mohawk’s Crowley-Barnum American Legion Post No. 25, but is available upon request for display at service and civic organizations, schools, municipal buildings and others. To request the tribute to display call 866-7765 or 866-4870.
The tribute is being put together by the Herkimer Lions Club, the Mohawk American Legion, the Herkimer Polish Community Home and the Frankfort Kiwanis Club.
The organizations are encouraging local schools, organizations, businesses, churches, individuals and anyone else to become involved as well as remember a fallen star by coming up with a proposal for a project that would improve the quality of life in their community, such as a food drive or a roadside cleanup. The proposals can be sent to the Herkimer Lions Club, P.O. Box 171, Herkimer, NY 13350. Once the project is approved, the club or organization will receive a framed star with the name of one of the Fallen Stars on it. The project will be completed in his or her memory. The goal is to have 202 projects done, one for each of the Fallen Stars on the mural.
Organizations have until Nov. 11, Veterans Day, to put together a project.
The first project to be put together is by the Kingdom Seekers Youth Group from the Herkimer Reformed Church. They are raising money for their local food pantry in memory of Cpl. Steve Vahaviolos. At the completion of the project, the group will receive a certificate, as will all groups or individuals who complete a project. The certificate will include the organization or individuals name, the name of the man or woman they’re representing and, if available, a picture of that soldier.
“We believe that it’s important to remember those who made the supreme sacrifice by doing something substantive in their memories,” said Ray Lenarcic, special projects chairman of the Lion Club.
The groups are also looking for donations in the memories of the Fallen Stars with proceeds to go to Veterans Expo II and the McKenna-Glover Foundation which helps injured marines. Donations can be sent to the Herkimer Lions Club or the Mohawk American Legion Post No. 25 at 43 W. Main St., Mohawk, NY 13407.
The ceremony on Monday will be a short ceremony, Lenarcic said and will include comments by Commander of the Mohawk American Legion Post Dan Ferguson, Assemblyman Marc Butler, Vince Casale representing HCCC and Mrs. Shawn Martin - Gold Star Wife.
The public is invited to the ceremony and Lenarcic said the unveiling ceremony will be done in plenty of time to make the Herkimer parade.
Herkimer, N.Y. —
