Dozens of people gathered Sunday afternoon near the final resting place of Gen. James A. Beaver to honor the cemetery’s veterans, who served in every major U.S. conflict except the Mexican-American War .

Despite the inclement weather, Center County Commissioners Mark Higgins and Steven Dershem, Director of Veterans Affairs Brian Querry, representatives of the Bellefonte Cemetery Association, veterans and their families came together to honor those who served.

Pastor Renée Ford of Woodycrest United Methodist Church opened the ceremony with an invocation and reflection on sacrifice. Addressing the crowd, Ford presented the rain as a small opportunity for attendees to share, in some way, the sacrifices made by veterans in the community.

“Veterans Day is an opportunity to reflect on the courage, sacrifice and service of all those who have defended our country,” Ford said. “It is a day to remember that our freedoms, our ability to worship, to speak, to live freely, to be here in this very moment, have been guaranteed by the selfless acts of those who believe that freedom is worth worth fighting for.”

HUNTER SMITH/THE EXPRESS The event was well attended despite rainy weather.

Ford explained that the fight for freedom and equality has always been at the heart of the nation’s history and that each generation has a role to play in passing on that legacy – a duty that veterans have valiantly fulfilled. .

“Their sacrifice invites us to fight for a world where justice and peace prevail and where the values ​​of equality and dignity for all are defended,” she said. “As we stand here in this Union Cemetery, surrounded by the resting places of Civil War heroes who believed in a vision of a more united and just America, let us renew our commitment to that vision.”

Commissioner Dershem spoke second; In his remarks, he highlighted the community’s Congressional Medal of Honor recipient buried in the cemetery, George W. Harris.

“To have a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient among us as a community is a very, very special thing,” he said.

Private George W. Harris, of Company B, 148th Pennsylvania Infantry, of the American Civil War, was awarded for his actions on May 12, 1864, during the Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse, Virginia.

HUNTER SMITH/THE EXPRESS Standing next to the grave of Gen. James A. Beaver, Commissioner Steven Dershem, above, highlighted Bellefonte’s Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, George W. Harris.

During the battle, Harris, a Union soldier, captured the enemy flag, wrenching it from the standard bearer in hand-to-hand combat before shooting a Confederate officer who attempted to retrieve it.

Harris was presented the award in December 1864 by Maj. Gen. George G. Meade, during a review of II Corps headquarters near Petersburg, Virginia.

Dershem also mentioned another county Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, Joseph Foster Sayers Sr., who was honored with a flyover on Tuesday, Nov. 12, to mark the 80th anniversary of his passing and the event that earned the Medal of Honor.

David Dimmick, co-founder of FaithCentre, a Christian philanthropic organization that supports residents of the greater Bellefonte area, spoke next.

“Defending freedom requires sacrifice. It requires the sacrifice of many people who, even if they don’t want to, are willing to abandon their families, their dogs, their farms and the comforts of their homes to fight back against oppression,” Dimmick said.

HUNTER SMITH/THE EXPRESS veteran Peter Serefine, concluding the ceremony, said: “We owe (our veterans) more than thanks – we owe them a commitment to stand up for the ideas they stood for. »

In his comments, he emphasized that this holiday should be a day to recognize everyone’s sacrifice, no matter how small.

“We thank all veterans – those who saw the battles, those who pushed paper at Fort Benning, those who ate Korean mud and those who flew over, those who fell in Vietnam and those who took caring for them in hospitals – all the veterans who defended freedom. “, he said.

He also recognized the sacrifices of veterans’ families, as well as leaders who make the difficult decision to send soldiers into harm’s way.

Veteran and Bellefonte resident Peter Serefine was the final speaker of the ceremony. He expressed how deeply honored he was to speak on behalf of all veterans, as if it were just one of them.

“From the Revolutionary War to today, Bellefonte’s sons and daughters have answered the call to defend our freedom, demonstrating extraordinary courage and resilience in the face of adversity. to trials and tribulations that most of us could barely imagine,” Serefine said. “It is only fitting that we take a moment once a year and gather here at Union Cemetery. It is a time to celebrate their memories, but also an opportunity to reflect on the importance of this place, these sacred places.

Serefine explained that the term “Union” in the cemetery’s name originally referred to the union of Christian churches in the community who shared the land as a common burial ground. However, as early as 1908, veterans of the Grand Army of the Republic established soldiers’ circles in the heart of the cemetery, giving “Union” the meaning that many associate with the name today.

“They came together to establish this memorial – not as just a memorial – it was a testament to their shared respect and remembrance, to the spirit of unity that is deeply rooted in Bellefonte,” said Serefine, who called Bellefonte a community that honors common heritage. whatever the differences.

Historically, the Union Cemetery was one of the few burial sites where black and white soldiers lay side by side – a radical concept at a time when much of society was segregated.

Serefine also mentioned that Union Cemetery is the final resting place of one of the last (if not the last) surviving Civil War veterans, Charles Heverly, who died in 1928.

Concluding the ceremony, Serefine said: “We owe (our veterans) more than thanks. We owe them a commitment to uphold the ideals they stood for.

Continuing its appreciation for Bellefonte’s fallen veterans, the Bellefonte Cemetery Association will lay memorial wreaths to honor and remember them. To sponsor a wreath and help Bellefonte Union Cemetery honor as many veterans as possible, visit www.wreathsacrossamerca.org/PA0927P and click the red Sponsor Wreaths button. The cost of one crown is $17. Price includes a $5 donation to Bellefonte Union Cemetery.