Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties

Tree of Honor kicks off Fourth of July festivities

By CHARITY SMITH

[email protected]

Bessemer - The city of Bessemer paid homage to area veterans with its annual Tree of Honor ceremony on Wednesday evening.

Each year, the Fourth of July committee holds the event to pay tribute to area veterans by having their names read during the ceremony and placed on a plaque by the Tree of Honor, a spruce tree, which is located in a small park on Sophie Street. The tree was lit up with small red, white and blue lights during the ceremony. The display includes signs that date back to the first ceremony.

"We're just so thrilled to see so many of you here and to have such a great response to our veterans. We had over 150 veterans that are being honored tonight," said event co-chair Mary Jo Mykkanen. "To get that many was great."

The ceremony included a performance of the "Star Spangled Banner" and "God Bless America," by tenor Miles Mykkanen; as well as the reading of the veterans' names and those of who honored them, and the playing of "Taps" by Marty's Goldenaires Drum and Bugle Corps bugler Myron Re.

After the ceremony, Marty's Goldenaires marched in from city hall and performed a vast array of patriotic selections to the delight of the crowd. Small children danced to the music. The band then marched down Sophie Street to perform some more, all in practice for Sunday's parade.

Mark Ford, a U.S. Coast Guard veteran and his wife, Susan, came to the festivities from Mexico. He said that he came for his wife's family reunion and the holiday festivities because it offers a small town feel that isn't comparable to anywhere else. Ford said that his wife is from the area and she brought him to the 2018 events and he just had to come back for this year.

"Nostalgia, that's why we're here," said Mark Ford.

Susan said she lived in San Francisco for a time and missed the "parades, the sack races, or even a 50/50 raffle. ... There wasn't all the fun extra activities."

"Here, everybody's a part of everything," said Mark Ford.

The Fourth of July committee has many events planned throughout. Organizers announced Wednesday that Sunday's planned flyover by the 148th Fighter Wing out of Duluth, Minnesota, will take place over Massie Field sometime between 10:56 - 11:06 a.m. during the family games.

 
 
Rendered 03/15/2024 14:57