Ronan holds special Memorial Day services
Jewel Stonehocker put the traditional Wreath of Honor at the grave of Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Laverne Parrish of Pablo, during the Ronan Memorial Day ceremonies on Monday.
RONAN — Memorial Day activities at Ronan consisted of its annual Honor Guard parade and program on Spring Creek in the Ronan City Park and at Mountain View Cemetery.
Jewel Stonehocker, lifelong Mission Valley resident, laid the traditional Wreath of Honor at the grave of Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, Laverne Parrish of Pablo.
Parrish is one of five Montanans and 450 nationwide so honored for heroism in battle.
Mrs. Stonehocker previously placed a wreath in the city park honoring veterans who were “MIAs and Lost at Sea.”
Her brother, Tom Needham of Somers, was the speaker at the park ceremony.
He honored their brother, Robert A. Needham, with remarks about the personal circumstances of their family’s loss and recognized also the lost at sea status of Gene Ingraham, brother of longtime area attorney Lloyd Ingraham.
These two Ronan men perished at sea 63 years ago, within two weeks of each other, just following the D-Day invasion, which led to the close of World War II a year later.