"Day is done, gone the sun, from the lake, from the hills, from the sky; all is well, safely rest, God is nigh."

The music that goes with these familiar words from "Taps" ended the memorial ceremony at each cemetery on the tour honoring deceased veterans by the American Legion Allen O. Delke Post 16, Slatington.

Accompanying the Legion members were the Sons of the American Legion and the Legion Riders.

They visited nine cemeteries on May 26, joined by church members where the cemeteries are located.

Mark Queen carried the U.S. flag. Brian Roberts had the American Legion flag and Bruce Roberts carried one for the Sons of the American Legion.

With the wind blowly gently, the flags waved beautifully.

Charles Rowlands and Donald Leikel handed flags to each of the young children attending.

Dennis Ziegler, Memorial Day committee president, began the ceremony at Jacob's Church, Jacksonville, Lynn Township, by saying, "Our veterans served during the most difficult eras.

"Help us to continue in honoring the values they have bestowed upon our great nation: loyalty, respect, brotherhood, duty, service, honor and trust.

"When peril threatened and their country called, with what divine self-sacrifice they left their paths of peace to spring to arms, to make their breasts a barricade against the nation's foes.

"No sorrow for the loved ones left behind could dim the purpose in their souls.

"Let us stand with bowed heads in solemn memory of our heroic dead."

Ziegler's words were followed by a rifle salute and the playing of "Taps" in the echo method, with bugle players, Marc Beleno and Nathaniel Czarnecki, from Northern Lehigh High School, on opposite ends of the lineup.

"No horror of the field, or sea, or air could beat their courage down," Ziegler said, at Ebenezer Church, New Tripoli. "They fought for us, for us they fell, Now with one accord, in deepest reverence, we do them honor. Let us not remember them in anguish, they would not want our pity.

"Comrades, on this Memorial Day let us pledge ourselves anew to patriotic service. Let us make ourselves the friend and brother, son and father of those who will not see their own again in mortal flesh.

"The firing squad will now salute the dead and the buglers will sound 'Taps.'"

After the rifle salute, came the command from Gordon Giannotti, leader of the firing squad, to present arms and the Legion and Sons of the Legion flags were lowered.

The mother and daughter team of Lynette and Olivia Romig sang the "Star Spangled Banner" at Heidelberg Church.

"Under the quiet sod or beneath the murmuring waves their bodies sleep in peace," Ziegler said. "But in the destinies of man, their souls go marching on. Because of them our lives are free. Because of them our nation lives.

"When we recall the things they did, the hero hosts seem mighty in our midst.

"Let us not forget the loved ones left behind. Our words of sympathy cannot bring back the comfort of those loving hands or the music of those voices stilled."

At Neffs Lutheran Church Cemetery, state Rep. Gary Day, R-187th, addressed those gathered.

"On behalf of the 187th District I thank you," Day said. "You should be incredibly proud."

Day said his grandmother's brother died on the first destroyer in battle.

"You all do your duty," Day said. "The least people can do is remember."

Ziegler then spoke to the gathering.

"Again our nation has assembled to honor its heroic dead," Ziegler said. "A thousand battles of land and sea and air echo the glory of their valiant deeds.

"Under the quiet sod or beneath the murmuring waves, their bodies sleep in peace.

"All who stand with us today, will you not consecrate yourselves with us to emulate their sacred service that those who rest in heroes graves may not have died in vain."

At United Presbyterian Church, Slatington, Chad Fritz, an E5 Sgt. of the 91st Infantry Battalion, an active duty soldier at Fort Drum, N.Y., attended the ceremony with his wife and children: Arianna, Corbin, Landon and Lukas Fritz.

Also in uniform was retired Master Sgt. Robert Weaver, who belonged to the Veterans of the Vietnam War when he lived in Clarks Summit.

He was in Europe in 1953 during the World War II occupation, served two tours in Vietnam and retired in 1972. He served 10-1/2 years in Germany, was in Tehran, Persia (Iran), during the time of the Shah and in Thailand, for a total of a little more than 20 years.