Veterans, their families and the community are invited to join in Fallen Heroes: A Day of Honor and Remembrance to celebrate the lives and service of Veterans throughout Ohio. Ceremonies will be held at the American Pride Veteran Memorial on the campus of Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton, 324 Wilmington Avenue, Dayton. The event begins at 10 am and will include a wreath presentation, Honor Guard and reception to honor the fallen.

Guest speaker for the event will be J. Thomas Hardy, D.O., Col. (Ret), Chief of Staff of the Dayton. VA Medical Center. Dr. Hardy served two tours in Vietnam as an advisor to a Vietnamese infantry unit and was an infantry platoon leader in the famed 101st Airborne Division. After completing medical school and an internship at Eisenhower Army Medical Center, Dr. Hardy served in leadership positions in Europe and stateside. He was appointed Chief of Staff at the Dayton VAMC in 2012. He retired with over 20 years of active service and currently serves as Associate Dean for Veterans affairs for the Boonshoft School of Medicine at Wright State University.

“We are committed to caring for and honoring veterans as part of our mission and our American Pride program,” explains Glenn Costie, Chief of Veteran Services with Ohio’s Hospice. “We want to include the entire community in this effort by encouraging them to pay tribute and thank Veterans for their service and sacrifice.”

The American Pride Veteran Memorial is a moving commemoration that includes illustrated panels dedicated to American military campaigns ranging from the Revolutionary War to the War Against Terror. Each branch of the service is represented with a flag, and the American flag flies proudly at the center of the display. The memorial also includes a computer kiosk that features pictures and stories about veterans.

By visiting www.ohioshospice.org/american-pride, community members can submit their own stories or stories about loved ones, and upload photos of Veterans, honoring their lives and service. All stories submitted will be accessible online and on display at the American Pride Veteran Memorial. The stories are searchable by name. Any Veteran from the greater Dayton area is eligible to be included.

“This Memorial is dedicated to the Veterans we serve through Ohio’s Hospice, but also to every Veteran from our community,” says Costie. “Honoring their service is in keeping with our mission and our commitment to this community.”