Geib and Community Hospice join forces to honor area vets

                        
Summary: The fourth annual Evening of Honor was held Nov. 11 at Geib Funeral Homes and Crematories at Dover. A special event meant to honor veterans from the region included a pinning ceremony sponsored by Geib and Community Hospice of Tuscarawas, Stark and Carroll Counties. A tribute to the dead was observed with a moment of silence and a twenty one gun salute. Veterans and their families were invited to stay for refreshments and fellowship after the ceremony. For the fourth consecutive year Geib Funeral Homes and Crematories and Community Hospice of Tuscarawas, Stark and Carroll Counties hosted an Evening of Honor at Geib's north Dover location to honor veterans of the armed forces and to thank them for their service. The Nov. 11 ceremony began with VLQ, a very large quartet made up of members of the Schoenbrunn Valley Barbershop Chorus, performing an emotionally charged, God Bless America. Veteran’s Services Organizations of Tuscarawas County had the honor of posting colors before the Pledge of Allegiance was recited. VLQ returned to sing the National Anthem and members of the audience joined in as patriotism filled the air. Before giving the invocation, Community Hospice Chaplain, Chad Durfee spoke of the way the world views America and her brave servicemen. “I have lived twenty years of my life abroad and many times we are portrayed as a country that is hated but the honest truth is that is false. The whole world looks to our servicemen to protect them. Our servicemen are the bravest. They serve with the most compassion. They serve with honor. They are very just and they are the finest men in the world,” said Durfee. After a welcome and introduction from Geib’s chairman, Brian Hanner, a pinning ceremony took place with John Just, Douglas Gordon, Blane Miller, John Hickman, Ed Ditto and Jeff Rider-Durst serving as presenters. The pinning ceremony was created when Community Hospice expressed a desire to expand their end-of-life pinning for area veterans to include veterans of all ages and those in good health. Hanner noted another challenge the community was faced with was the unpredictable weather in November that often times hampered Veteran’s Day ceremonies that were typically held outdoors. “We thought holding an indoor event in the evening would allow for more people to attend an event to honor veterans even if the weather wasn’t cooperating,” said Hanner. “Aside from bankers and postmen most of us still work on Veteran’s Day. There were so many people missing out on events meant to honor our vets.” Hanner called each veteran by name and they made their way to the front of the room to accept their pins. Each veteran was also given a small flag to commemorate the evening. “We gather each year on Veteran’s Day and we hope that you will continue to make it a tradition for us. We will be here as long as people come or even if only one person comes. We will provide a place for the honor of pinning, to receive a flag and just to continue the attitude and to help share the patriotic spirit that there is just not enough of the other 364 days of the year,” said Hanner. A tribute to the dead included a moment of silence, a twenty one gun salute and the presentation of Taps. Chad Durfee provided the benediction and colors were retired before VLQ performed, Let There be Peace on Earth. Denny Ross of Newcomerstown, an Army veteran and recent inductee into the Ohio Veteran’s Hall of Fame took a moment to thank Hanner and the entire staff at Geib for their commitment to veterans. After the ceremony refreshments were served. Veterans and their families lingered and enjoyed each other’s company while VLQ surprised everyone with an impromptu performance.


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