Owego and Tioga County will remember Fallen Heroes on Memorial Day differently this year — privately at home, on the Internet or live on Your Hometown Station WEBO. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, NO Memorial Day downtown parade or Service of Remembrance at the Tioga County Veterans Memorial but wreaths will be posted at the memorials to Remember the Fallen Heroes and a memorial wreath will be cast from the Court Street Bridge into the Susquehanna River to Remember the Navy personnel lost at sea.
NO ‘ Flags In’ on veterans’ graves in Eastern and Northern Tioga County cemeteries. Over 2,000 grave flags were packaged by coordinator Tom Simons of the American Legion. They’re ready for distribution to Flag Detail Teams of Boy Scouts, veterans, youth and adult volunteers.
WEBO AM and FM will broadcast Memorial Day ceremonies by two methods in their Southern Tier coverage area. From 8:15 a.m. to 10 a.m., a live Facebook and YouTube stream of Mary Beth Jones and Jo Ann Walter reading the names of almost 5,000 deceased Tioga County veterans from a 2008 Cemetery Survey by Vietnam Combat Veteran Chet and wife Anita Harding.
At 10 a.m. on WEBO AM and its four Tioga County FM Translators, a traditional Service of Remembrance will be broadcast with Master of Ceremonies Jim Raftis, who will remember Tioga County’s 168 Fallen Heroes, also recorded music by the Owego Free Academy Marching Band, Roll Call of Deceased Veterans since Veterans Day, and a personal Memorial Day reflection from a proud Army Mom and Gold Star Mother Barbara Bilbrey, who lost her son Charlie in Iraq 11 years ago.
Story written by Jim Raftis for MyHometownToday.com
