Memorial Day Ceremony N. Royalton

It’s a time-honored tradition in North Royalton. Every Memorial Day, the community honors military veterans who have given their lives so that we can enjoy our freedom.
North Royalton Mayor Larry Antoskiewicz, members of City Council, and the North Royalton Police and Fire Departments joined with residents at the Cemetery on Royalton Road and at the Jeffrey Boskovitch Memorial on the City Green.
“We are here today to say thank you to those who made the ultimate sacrifice,” said Mayor Antoskiewicz. “We stand in the midst of patriots and the family and friends who have nobly served laying down their lives for our freedom. These were ordinary people who responded in extraordinary ways at extreme times.”
Presenting honors at the cemetery were members of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3345 based in Strongsville.
“The military veterans who gave their lives were our fathers, our mothers, our brothers and sisters and our comrades. Their lives were not lost in vain, for each life lost has contributed to the evolution of the America that we know today,” said Tim Zvoncheck, commander of VFW Post 3345.
Members of the VFW Post then laid wreaths at the Memorial at the cemetery, followed by a 21-gun salute and the playing of “Taps” and “Amazing Grace.”
Among those who came to the cemetery was Dave Harrison of North Royalton. Dave came to remember a buddy he served with in Vietnam and died on the battlefield. “I’ve never forgotten him. Today is the day to pay tribute to him and others.”
When I asked Bill Sample of North Royalton why he came to the cemetery he pointed to his heart. “I think about all of them. There’s a place in my heart for them.”
When the ceremony at the Cemetery concluded, the crowd moved to the City Green to the Boskovitch Memorial.
North Royalton Veterans Liasion Wally Ohler read the names of NR veterans who have passed away in the past year. When those names were read, they were saluted and a flower was placed on the memorial.
“My message to remember those who served and are serving seems to be resonating. The lives and the people I touch come from everywhere. When I went to Florida, someone stopped me in a store and thanked me for all that I had done for airmen.”
As Mayor Antoskiewicz said, “We don’t know them all, but we owe them all. No plaque, memorial or proclamation can ever touch the surface of the gratitude and appreciation we have for these men and women and their families.”