New Philadelphia Memorial Day service set May 25

The New Philadelphia Veterans Council Coordinating Committee will present its annual Memorial Day service at 11 a.m. Monday, May 25, on the Courthouse Plaza in downtown New Philadelphia.

The New Philadelphia Veterans Council Coordinating Committee is composed of representatives from the three remaining New Philadelphia veterans service organizations: American Legion Post 139, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1445 and Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 857. It is supported by the Tuscarawas County Veterans Service Office.

The guest speaker for the 2026 Memorial Day program will be New Philadelphia VFW Post 1445 Commander Steven Chenevey. Chenevey also serves as chair of the New Philadelphia Veterans Council Coordinating Committee, a post he has held for several years.

He has served as VFW Post 1445 commander since 2014 and has been responsible for many new programs and additions to the post. Those include the post’s Veterans Food Pantry, the Hometown Heroes Banner program, the Chuck Moorehead Veterans Memorial Garden, construction of the Elmer C. Schwartz Community Annex, upgraded restrooms, an upgraded patio facility and a new fire safety sprinkler system.

He also has overseen a number of veteran assistance programs and community projects. On May 3, VFW Post 1445 celebrated its centennial anniversary, marking 100 years of veterans serving veterans. Chenevey is a Vietnam War veteran who served as a sergeant with the 14th Combat Engineer Battalion.

The New Philadelphia High School Marching Quaker Band, under the direction of Jeff Phillips, will open the program with “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Student vocalists from the NPHS Delphian Chorale, under the direction of Kristina Prucha, will perform “Tell My Father” and “The Lord Bless and Keep You.”

Students from several New Philadelphia schools, under the direction of Sharon Ricklic, will demonstrate the proper folding of Old Glory and explain the meaning of each fold. Student orators also will recite “In Flanders Fields,” “America’s Answer” and President Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.

Volleys and Taps will be rendered in honor of the men and women who served in the United States Armed Forces and made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of the nation. The three rifle volleys, signifying devotion to duty, honor and country, will be fired by the New Philadelphia VFW Post 1445 Military Honors Team.

Echo Taps will be sounded by student musicians from the New Philadelphia High School Marching Quaker Band.

VFW Post 1445 invites everyone to attend its traditional hot dog and hamburger lunch at the post canteen following the service.

In the event of severe weather, the Memorial Day program will be moved to the banquet hall at New Philadelphia VFW Post 1445, 441 Park Ave. NW in New Philadelphia.