Morgantown High hosts Memorial Day ceremony

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The Morgantown High School Key Club will host its annual Memorial Day Service Monday at around 2:30 p.m.

Key Club sponsor, Steven Blinco, said the event is open for the community, and is a way to honor, past, present and future veterans. The service will be held outside of the school’s auditorium entrance in front of the memorial stone dedicated to the students lost in the Vietnam War.

“In the Vietnam War, we lost 17 boys from MHS. It’s something near and dear to us each year to remember them and reflect on their lives,” Blinco said.

The guest speaker will be Col. Glen Kelly who is retired from the U.S. Army and serves as Morgantown’s Assistant City Manager and is the acting director of the Morgantown Municipal Airport. Other guests include U.S. Marine Corps League Detachment 342, the Woodburn chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 306, and VFW Post 9916 of Westover. The 249th West Virginia Army National Guard Band will also be performing.

Blinco said Key Club students have an active role in the ceremony from organizing the event to speaking at the ceremony.

“We keep it very student centered because we want them to really learn about the sacrifices of our brave men and women in our services and kind of have them think about that and reflect on that day as well.”

The service is expected to be around 45 minutes followed by a meet-and-greet with service members. Blinco said it is a way to remember what this holiday is all about.

“Besides hotdogs, apple pie and baseball, we also want you to remember the true meaning of the holiday. That’s to remember all those veterans who paid the ultimate sacrifice and those who are still with us,” stressed Blinco.

Blinco said the Memorial Day ceremony has been organized by the Key Club for many years. Attendance is often strong. He estimated as many as 60 people will attend. There will be chairs set up. Attendees can also bring their own chairs.