The names of 10 veterans from Mina who were killed in action in various wars were read aloud and added to the roster of Gold Star Veterans. Also read were the names of recently deceased veterans from the town.

Town Supervisor Rebecca Brumagin led the service, titled: “What is Sacrifice?”

In her comments, Brumagin made the distinction between inconvenience and sacrifice. “So many of us think that wearing masks in public for over a year was a sacrifice, but in reality, it was only an inconvenience,” she said.

In contrast, Brumagin said, essential workers who put themselves in harm’s way to take care of victims of the virus were engaging in sacrifice by putting others before themselves.

Mina Town historian Mary Norcross and town supervisor Rebecca Brumagin hand out flags to the children present at the Memorial Day service.

Those who enter the military show their willingness to sacrifice because they place their lives in the command of the officers above them and must obey orders even if it puts them in harm’s way, Brumagin said.

Their sacrifice also comes when they are deployed away from family and friends while facing the possibility of losing their lives. “The courage they must muster to face enemies in foreign lands is life-altering and goes far beyond the simple work sacrifice,” she said.

Brumagin urged those present to consider the true meaning of the word sacrifice and to think about those who lived out its meaning. “We are living the good life — a beautiful community, wonderful friends and families,” she said. “Others are separated from their communities, from their friends and families and they are putting their lives on the line for us. Let’s appreciate their sacrifice.”

Before Brumagin called Mina Historian Mary Norcross forward to read the list of those killed in action, she thanked high school band music teachers Chris Wakefield of Clymer and Andrew Minton of Sherman, who came to the gazebo last year, even though there was no official service. The two directors played a medley of patriotic songs in honor or those who died in the service of their country.

Wakefield and Minton were both on hand, along with students Lucas Dunnewold, Trent Shampoe, Jayden Malecki, and alumnus Emma Redlecki. They played the “Star Spangled Banner,” “America the Beautiful” and “Taps” during the service.

Veterans present at the Town of Mina Memorial Day service gather on the bridge by the gazebo.

Norcross read the names of the 10 men who had been killed in various wars from the Civil War to present day engagements. Town of Mina Councilman Marty Proctor then came forward to read the names of the recently deceased veterans.

Also noted at the service was Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Ebenezer Skellie from the Findley Lake area, who was awarded the medal for bravery in battle during the Civil War.

One addition to the program was when Jim Kurtz came forward to speak about the Chautauqua County Hometown Veterans’ Memorial. He invited people to consider purchasing a brick for the memorial in honor of someone they knew who had served in the military.

At the end of the service, Brumagin invited all the veterans present to come forward and receive an American flag as a way of thanking them for their service.