Ames Patriotic Council

 We, the citizens of Ames, Iowa, have organized ourselves together for the purpose of creating within the community a greater love of country, promoting true patriotism by patriotic activities on major holidays and in other ways suitable for the occasion.

MEMORIAL DAY

MONDAY, MAY 29, 2023

11 a.m.

Ames Municipal Cemetery*

* In case of rain, ceremony will be in the Ames City Hall Auditorium.

Video of Memorial Day Ceremony

The Ames Patriotic Council is pleased to announce the annual Memorial Day parade and ceremony onMonday, May 29, to honor those who have fallen in service to our country. Everyone in the Ames community is
invited to attend. The parade steps off from City Hall at 10:30 a.m. and proceeds north on Clark and then east on 9th Street to the Ames Municipal Cemetery, where the ceremony begins at 11 a.m.
The featured speaker will be Army Lieutenant Colonel Dan Runyon (Retired). Lt. Col. Runyon, a farm kid from Corydon, Iowa, enlisted in the Army National Guard in 1989 as a Private First Class. His unit was to be
deployed in Desert Storm (Kuwait/Iraq), but the war was over so quickly that they never left the states. After attending Officer Candidate School, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in August 1992. For a decade
Dan served as a parttime Guard member while at various times working for Barilla Pasta, Pella Windows, and the State Patrol and as a gambling regulator.

Lt. Col. Dan Runyon, Retired

In 2007 then-Major Runyon deployed to Afghanistan, where he helped to train and deploy an Afghan Army Brigade on the Pakistan border. In 2008 he and his family were accepted into the National Guard Bureau
AGR program, in which he served for 15 years at various posts at home and abroad. Finally in July 2022 Dan retired from the Army as a Lieutenant Colonel after 33 years of service. His many military awards include a
Bronze Star, a Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, an Afghanistan Campaign Medal, and many others.
Along the way, Lt. Col. Runyon earned an AA degree from Indian Hills Community College, a BS in Animal Ecology from Iowa State, and an MS in International Relations from Webster University. He and his wife Shelly have been married for 31 years, have six children, and live in Ames.
Anyone, especially any veteran, wishing to walk or ride in the parade is welcome. Parade participants should begin gathering at 10 a.m. in the parking lot on the west side of City Hall, 515 Clark, and along 5th St.
on the south side of City Hall. The parade will step off at 10:30 a.m. Due to the solemn nature of the holiday, the Patriotic Council asks that parade participants refrain from distributing candy or promotional literature along the parade route.
The program at the cemetery begins at 11 a.m. with Ames Mayor John Haila offering a welcome from the City and American Legion Post #37 Commander Jay Sisco greeting the audience on behalf of the Legion.
The program will be introduced by Tim Gartin, President of the Ames Patriotic Council.
A color guard from the Des Moines Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol will present the colors.
The Ames Municipal Band under the direction of Mike Golemo will play patriotic music. Our featured singer will be Jim DeHoet. A list of the names of local veterans interred since last Memorial Day will be read, followed by a salute from the American Legion Honor Guard.
Afterwards, American Legion Post #37 will provide lunch at the post, 225 Main Street in Ames. A salute to the dead will be given at the Ontario Cemetery at 1 p.m. and at the Story Memorial Gardens at 1:30 p.m.
For those not able to attend in person, the program will also viewable online at
www.facebook.com/AmesPatrioticCouncil/events and www.AmesPatrioticCouncil.org .
Volunteers are still needed to help staff barricades along the parade route from 10:15 a.m. to 11 a.m. If you can help out, please sign up online at
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeyUMdtd0QFG5PnMiPXh_AM6DFRBB8e-JuTWs-NZUvB3kdAQg/viewform .
In case of rain, the parade will be cancelled, and the program will move indoors to the Ames Municipal Auditorium at 11 a.m.

Ames Patriotic Council Membership

 May 2020-May 2021 Deceased Veterans

May 2021-May 2022 Deceased Veterans

May 2022-May 2023 Deceased Veterans

PACT Act Veterans Benefits

Veterans suffering from various cancers or other ailments caused by toxic emissions from burn pits or other toxic substances may be eligible for additional compensation through the PACT Act. For more information, click here.
   

 

 

 
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