The Gold Star Mothers Memorial Rock in Veterans Memorial Park, Jamestown, is pictured.

The Blue Star Mothers, New York Chapter 4, will be hosting three ceremonies surrounding the 2025 Memorial Day Remembrance.

The public is welcome to join in each of these events.

Ar 10 a.m. Saturday, May 24, the Blue Star Mothers will host its annual Gold Star Memorial Remembrance at Veterans Memorial Park on West Third and Logan Streets in Jamestown. A second event will be the Lake View Cemetery Memorial Day Service beginning at 10:45 a.m. directly following the 10 a.m. Jamestown parade on Monday, May 26. A third inaugural memorial this year will be the Blue Star Mothers unveiling and dedication of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Rock on Saturday, May 31, at 11 a.m. at the Veterans Memorial Park in Jamestown.

The Gold Star Memorial event is a yearly remembrance during the Memorial Day season. While Blue Star Mothers have active duty and veteran sons and daughters, the Gold Star designation recognizes a family who has lost a son or daughter in the service of the United States during a time of war. On Saturday, May 24, the Blue Star Mothers will recognize the memory of those local residents who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of the United States as they honor the families left behind. This year 22 fallen men and women will be honored by name. Originally established in May 2013, the Gold Star Memorial serves as a daily visual remembrance of those who have been killed while serving. The memorial display includes a rock with a plaque honoring the fallen, surrounded by annually-flowering cherry trees.

The Gold Star Memorial ceremony will include the presence of several area elected officials, a color guard, 21-gun salute and playing of Taps by local veterans organizations. The participation of the local Patriot Guard and a bagpipe benediction will also be included in the program. Along with memorial wreaths, the ceremony will include the reading of each local hero’s name, followed by a moment of silence.

The keynote speaker for this year’s memorial dedication is Candace Clemens, Gold Star Mother. Clemens and her husband Bill are proud Gold Star parents, earning this distinction when one of their three children, SSG Shawn Clemens, was killed in Afghanistan in January 2004. Clemens served in the field of education for 36 years, and is currently involved in many civic and community organizations including as chaplain for AMVETS Ladies Auxiliary 726 Jamestown. She also serves as Department of N.Y. American Gold Star Mothers’ community service officer and as chaplain for the Western New York Gold Star Mothers Chapter 26. She is the outreach liaison for the student veterans at St. Bonaventure University. Clemens also helps out with the Dwyer Program, a peer-to-peer veterans support outreach in the Cattaraugus Allegany Counties.

A second event sponsored by the local Blue Star Mothers will be the Memorial Day Service at the Lakeview Cemetery directly following the Jamestown parade on Monday, May 26. The service will include participation by the Jamestown Municipal Band, many veterans organizations and auxiliaries, and several local dignitaries.

Honorary speaker for the Memorial Day Ceremony is Chief Master Sergeant (CMSgt) Wayne E. Quattrone II (ret). Quattrone enlisted in the Air Force in December 1979. Over his 28-year career he deployed in support of multiple contingency operations, including Desert Storm, Deny Flight, Allied Force, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Prior to retirement, he was assigned to the Pentagon as the Chief of Enlisted Matters for Air Force Civil Engineers, responsible for executive level leadership of 49,000 enlisted and civilian tradesmen, emergency management, firefighters and Explosive Ordnance Disposal in eight major commands and two Forward Operating agencies. Quattrone holds a B.S. in business management from the University of Maryland University College, an M.S. in Diplomacy (concentration in International Conflict Management) from Norwich University and a Doctor of Physical Therapy from Gannon University. He is currently an owner and physical therapist at HAWC Physical Therapy.

Master of Ceremonies for the Memorial Day Service will be Greg Carlson, Air Force Major (ret.) who has served as the director of veterans services for Chautauqua County since retiring from the U.S. Air Force in 2016. Guest clergy will be the Rev. Sam Shreffler, USAFSS, 1970-1974, and retired senior chaplain for Heritage Ministries. Also participating are U.S. Congressman Nick Langworthy, Assemblyman Andrew Molitor, Chautauqua County Executive PJ Wendel, Mayor Kim Ecklund, and many local veterans organizations. Local school students will recite In Flanders Fields and the Gettysburg Address, and a vocal trio will present God Bless the USA. The service will conclude at noon with the traditional rifle volley, Taps, raising of the American Flag, and bagpipes benediction.

Finally, as the third commemoration for this Memorial Day, the Blue Star Mothers will unveil and dedicate a Vietnam Veterans Memorial Rock at Jamestown Veterans Memorial Park. The memorial rock with bronze plaque will become a permanent fixture at the park, honoring all Vietnam veterans everywhere, whether deceased or living, for their service and sacrifice. All Vietnam veterans are invited to attend and be acknowledged, and each will be given a pin in honor and appreciation of their service.

Keynote speaker for this service is Jamestown area resident Col. Charles Watkins, U.S. Marine Corps. Watkins was designated a naval aviator in 1995 and served more than 30 years of combined active and reserve service before retiring as a colonel in 2022. Significant events while serving in this capacity include the campaign against ISIS in 2017 and the evacuation of Afghanistan in 2021. The son of Vietnam Veteran CDR USN (Ret.) John Watkins, the younger Watkins is currently employed as a medical helicopter pilot with STAT Medevac at UPMC Chautauqua. He lives in Jamestown and is married to his wife Leah. They have three daughters.

The Vietnam Veterans dedication will also include reflections from a Vietnam veteran family member as shared by Esther Bailey, Blue Star Mothers second vice president, and an acknowledgement by Bill Patton, Western District Director of the state Vietnam Veterans of America council. Local dignitaries, the Patriot Guard and traditional bagpipes will also be part of the dedication ceremony.

The public is invited to all three of these events, rain or shine. Limited seating is available, so those attending may want to bring a lawn chair and umbrella.

Since its inception during WWII, the national Blue Star Mothers of America organization has existed to provide support for active-duty service personnel, to promote patriotism, and to assist veterans’ organizations in our communities. Membership in the Blue Star Mothers is comprised of those who now have or have had children honorably serving in the U.S. Military. Chautauqua County’s local chapter (NY Chapter 4) has been actively pursuing opportunities to provide tangible and emotional support to military personnel and their families since 2007.

For those interested in knowing more about the mission of the Blue Star Mothers, email bluestamothersny4@yahoo.com.