Special Film Will Honor Local Tradition

The mission of the the annual Memorial Day Pilgrimage, held by the United Veterans Council (UVC) of New Holland and the New Holland Band, is to honor military veterans from the community. In 2020, when the local tradition was canceled due to COVID-19 concerns, a small delegation representing the UVC went to the cemeteries to read a prayer and observe a moment of silence. The pilgrimage continued in 2021, and this year, the annual event, which started in 1922, will observe its 100th anniversary.

In honor of that milestone, New Holland Band trumpet player Cody Mellinger, is completing a series of videos that will take viewers along with the members of the band and the UVC to experience the early morning journey. The five-part video series, which may be viewed at http://www.newhollandband.org/the-pilgrimage or on the "New Holland Band" Facebook page, is sponsored by the band and the UVC in partnership with the New Holland Area Historical Society.

Mellinger based the video series on a New Holland Band piece called "The Pilgrimage," which was written by band director Ken Laudermilch and performed at the band's 2008 spring concert. The piece was narrated by John Zimmerman and Ed Beck. Mellinger said the piece included an introduction, the naming of the cemeteries, a funeral march, a sample Memorial Day prayer, and the snare drum filling in for gun shots during a 21-gun salute. The piece concluded with the "Armed Services Medley." In addition to Mellinger being a member of the band, his great grandfather, Wayne Ranck, was one of the founders of the event, and he feels a special affinity for the tradition. Mellinger will serve as the guest speaker at the conclusion of this year's pilgrimage in the New Holland Community Memorial Park when he presents "The View From Behind the Bugle."

One of the actions taken in the days preceeding the holiday is the placement of American flags and flowers on the graves of more than 1,400 local veterans in a total of 19 area cemeteries. The pilgrimage, on Monday, May 30, will begin with a gathering at the American Legion Post 662, located at 35 S. Hoover Ave., New Holland, at 6:30 a.m.

As in the past, the delegation will visit area cemeteries, beginning with Ranck's United Methodist Church at 7 a.m., followed by Cedar Grove Presbyterian at 7:15 a.m. and Bridgeville Evangelical Congregational Church at 7:30 a.m. The group will journey to Weaverland Mennonite Church at 7:45 a.m., Bowmansville Memorial Park at 8:15 a.m., and St. John's Center Lutheran Church at 9 a.m. The group plans to arrive at Terre Hill Memorial Park at 9:15 a.m., followed by Voganville Cemetery at 10 a.m. The pilgrimage will continue to Groffdale Cemetery by 10:20 a.m. and Zeltenreich Reformed Church at 10:40 a.m. The group is scheduled to reach the Evangelical United Methodist Church in New Holland at 11:05 a.m. The final two ceremonies will take place at Trinity Lutheran Church at 11:20 a.m. and at St. Stephen Reformed Church at 11:30 a.m. The churches are located adjacent to each other in downtown New Holland. The veterans' delegation will meet at 11:50 a.m. at the Veterans Memorial, located at the corner of East Jackson Street and South Kinzer Avenue, for a brief ceremony. At noon, Mellinger will speak at the band shell in the park.

Members of the UVC would like to see younger veterans get involved in helping to preserve the tradition of the pilgrimage. Veterans who would like to participate may call Chet Gordon at 717-371-2042.