Waynesburg University

November 11, national Veterans Day, is a day for the community to pay a salute to all veterans. In Greene County, the community has been able to host an annual event for this cause. This year, the event will be held in Greene County’s new Veterans Memorial Park. 

Connie Hart, part of Greene County’s Salute to Veterans committee, said the project was first proposed in 2016 when the community planned to build the memorial. She said that Greene County’s Veteran’s Memorial Park became a reality after five years and a lot of community support. The park, which consists of memorial benches, a pavilion, walkways, views and a traveling memorial wall, first opened on Memorial Day 2021. 

The Veterans Day ceremony will also be serving as a dedication ceremony for the wall and the benches. For the most part however, the ceremony will consist of a traditional Veterans Day ceremony honoring those in service. One group that is attending and participating in the ceremony is the Green County Honor Guard, which consists of members of the VFW and American Allegiance.

“Don Martin is the keynote speaker and songs will be sung by Heaven Bound Ministry, which is just about three to five people. [The] Honor Guard will be performing a color guard ceremony, we will play taps and then the twenty-one-gun salute,” Mike Belding, another member of the Greene County Salute to Veterans committee, said in reference to the ceremony.

“[It will be a] much smaller than normal Memorial Day ceremony which was the entire unveiling of the park,” Belding said. 

Despite being smaller, the event will still serve as a partial dedication ceremony. 

Belding and Hart both said that the outpouring of support from the community has been overwhelming. They said they, along with the rest of the committee, hope to use this park for numerous events to honor those who have served, and continue to serve, in the nation’s military. 

“There are very few projects that will exceed your expectations when complete, but the concept of this was grand,” Belding said. 

The ceremony will be held Thursday, Nov. 11 at 11 a.m. The address for the location is 900 Rolling Meadows Rd, Waynesburg, PA, 15370.