The Upper Perkiomen Valley will remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country this Memorial Day with a ceremony in Red Hill and a parade through East Greenville and Pennsburg. Dr. Heather Weller, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5954 commander, is the Master of Ceremonies for the day.

            Col. (Ret.) Beverly A. Plosa-Bowser, who was part of the first class at the U.S. Air Force Academy to admit women, will speak at a brief ceremony at the VFW monument in Red Hill (Main and Fifth streets) at 9 a.m. Monday, May 29. Plosa-Bowser graduated in 1980 and retired in 2010. Her career included many technical and instructor assignments, as well as six months in Iraq during 2009. In Iraq, she was assigned to determine and resolve critical shortfalls of the Iraqi military capabilities.

            The ceremony will be followed by a parade at 10 a.m. The parade will step off at the East Greenville Fire House (401 Washington St., Pennsburg), proceed to Main Street (Route 29), head south, then turn onto Quakertown Avenue (Route 663) and proceed to Quakertown Road. The parade will end at Holy Cross (St. Philip Neri Church) Cemetery near the YMCA. Ample parking is available at the cemetery.

            The Pennsylvania State and Upper Perkiomen Police will lead the parade followed by the color guard. The Upper Perkiomen High School and Red Hill Band will participate in the parade, as well as several military vehicles. All veterans are invited to march or to ride in the designated vehicles.

            The parade is an activity of the Joint Veterans Council made up of the VFW Post 5954, American Legion Post 184 and the Tri-Boro Detachment 568 of the Marine Corps League.

Military Honors will be rendered over the grave of Edgar Larry Wetzel, A.K.A. Bandit, who was chosen as a representative of all veterans and their sacrifices. Bandit was a U.S. Army veteran who served in Vietnam where he received the Purple Heart for wounds suffered on Aug. 28, 1968. Veterans from all three organizations will comprise the firing detail.