By: Dylan Bowman, HAHS Board Member
May 30, 2023
Edited and released: June 15, 2023

The Parade
Contrary to the weatherman's report, not a dark cloud loomed in the sky. Blue skies were accompanied by the hot sun, but a breeze was also present throughout the day, taking the edge off the heat. Many Halifaxians grabbed their small American flags and stood on the sidewalks of 2nd and 3rd Streets, ready for the festivities to begin.
This year's Memorial Day parade consisted of the Halifax VFW, Halifax Boy Scout Troop 1165, and Cub Scout Pack 156, the Halifax Area High School Band and the Halifax and Fisherville fire companies, EMS and police. And of course, dozens and dozens of Halifaxians turned out to see the parade and support our men and women in uniform.

Halifax VFW Post 5750 member and veteran Keith Poffenberger speaks at the Halifax Memorial Day Parade program. Photo by Dylan Bowman
The Ceremony
As the parade came to an end and the crowds from the streets of Halifax gathered in Halifax VFW Park, the ceremony began. Each year, a commemorative speaker stands before the town and honors the memory of those men and women in our Armed Forces who served our country and did not return home.
This year, the speaker was Keith Poffenberger, a member of the Halifax VFW, who spoke about the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and those who gave the last full measure of devotion so that we might be free.
The community gathering totaled around 200 who came out to support and honor those in the military. Though a sense of community was in the air, a deafening silence surrounded the words of Poffenberger's speech. As the ceremony drew to a close, a five-gun salute rang out from VFW Post 5750 members, followed by the playing of taps by Halifax Boy Scout Troop 1165's bugler, Harrison Rhoades.
As is always the way with Memorial Day and Veteran's Day, there are bittersweet notes in the winds of the day. However, it is our duty to honor those who gave their all for us by not only placing flowers on their graves and telling our children of their bravery and sacrifice, but by also living out our lives in the way we should...as moral, free Americans.
For that which they bled and died.

Members of the Halifax area community gather together for the annual parade and program to honor the fallen men and women in military service, past and present. Photo by Dylan Bowman
Be sure to check out our following blog post here to catch the words of Keith Poffenberger and the amazing facts he shared during the Memorial Day program!
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