Area Memorial Day ceremonies will be a little closer to normal, although there will be some changes. The New Prague Veterans Honor Guard will be visiting area cemeteries starting at 9 a.m. and the parade will be back, but there will be a different route due to the reconstruction of Main Street and the Memorial Day service will be held in the Park Ballroom, 300 Lexington Ave. S. Featured speaker at the service will be Keith Deutsch of New Prague, a member of New Prague American Legion Post 45.
The New Prague Veterans Honor Guard will gather at the Park Ballroom at 8:15 a.m. and depart at 8:45 for area cemeteries. When the New Prague Veterans Honor Guard visits area cemeteries the names of veterans buried at the cemeteries will be read with a 21 gun salute and Taps will be played.
The schedule includes: 9 a.m. - St. Patrick 9:25 a.m. - St. Benedict 9:55 a.m. - Lanesburgh 10:15 a.m. - Union Hill 10:30 a.m. - Czech National 10:45 a.m. - St. Wenceslaus
Father Eugene Theisen will conduct a Memorial Day Mass at the St. Wenceslaus Cemetery Chapel at 10 a.m. Those attending the Mass and services at the cemeteries are asked to please remember to observe social distancing.
The parade this year will begin at 11:40 am with those participating in the parade gathering at the parking lot of St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church. The parade will go west on Church Street, then south on First Avenue, the parade will then turn east onto First Street SE and march for one block then turn south onto Columbus Avenue SE, go one block and then go east on Second Street SE to the Park Ballroom.
At the Park Ballroom, the New Prague High School marching band will play the national anthem with Father Theisen giving the invocation. New Prague Mayor Duane Jirik will then give a speech followed by Deutsch. The marching band will perform “America’s Finest in Honor of Our Fallen Heroes.”
Past American Legion Post 45 Commander George Tupy and VFW Post 5145 Commander Nick Slavik will then read a list of deceased veterans and will do a laying of wreaths. The Veterans Honor Guard and Rifle Unit will do a volley outside and Steve Skluzacek will play Taps. The ceremony will end with closing remarks.
Featured speaker Deutsch is the son of Judy Deutsch of New Prague and the late Ron Deutsch. He is a 2002 graduate of New Prague High School, who immediately joined the Army and ended up being deployed to Iraq. Both of Deutsch’s grandfathers had served in the military.
On August 23, 2003 a convoy Deutsch was in near Tikrit, Iraq came under fire. Deutsch returned fire and then what he described as...
To see more on this story pick up the May 27, 2021 print edition of The New Prague Times.
Memorial Day to feature Keith Deutsch as guest speaker
