When Army veteran Dave Garver, who had achieved a rank of Chief Warrant Officer 3 when he retired, was asked to speak at the upcoming Memorial Day Service at Middle Octorara Presbyterian Church (MOPC), he agreed to do so because he knows perspectives on Memorial Day are not all the same. "I feel that people's views on what Memorial Day is about are different than (the views of) those who have been in the service," Garver pointed out. "Having the opportunity to stand up front and give my perspective is why I am here."

Garver will open the ceremony, which will begin in the old cemetery east of the church at 1199 Valley Road, Quarryville, on Sunday, May 24, at 10 a.m. The brief outdoor ceremony will feature prayer and a color guard salute by VFW Post 4480 members. Scouts from Boy Scout Troop 87 will take part, as will the Rev. John Barlow and Scott Tanguy. Tanguy will read a dedication to Revolutionary War veteran Capt. John Paxton, who is buried in the cemetery. Paxton led Company D, 2nd Battalion, York County Militia during the Revolution. He fought in the battles of Brandywine and Germantown, where he was severely wounded. Paxton returned to run his gristmill and serve as an elder at MOPC. He raised six children, and Scott is a descendant.

Following the cemetery service, the gathering will move inside the church, where Robert A. Mowery; Lt. Col. Wesley Girvin, retired; and Garver will each speak.

Mowery, a 1963 graduate of Solanco High School (SHS), was drafted in November of 1965. He completed basic training at Fort Gordon in Georgia in early 1966, and after advanced training at Fort Carson in Colorado, he was sent to Vietnam. Mowery spent 13 months stationed just outside Saigon, and he was honorably discharged in August of 1967 with a rank of SP-5. Mowery received the National Defense Service medal, Vietnam Service medal, and Vietnam Campaign medal for his service. He is a member of Christiana American Legion Post 865. Mowery noted that he was hesitant when first asked to speak by event organizer Barry Girvin, but he agreed to take part after thinking about his gratitude for his health and his MOPC family. "It's an honor," he stated. "It makes you feel good that you served your country."

Wesley first joined the armed forces when he enlisted in the Army National Guard in 1981. Wesley holds degrees from Millersville University and George Mason University. He served for more than four decades, and during that time, he held positions as a NATO plans officer, strategic planner for Afghanistan-Pakistan, and infantry platoon leader. He also served in special operations command and civil affairs tactical support. Wesley was deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina in 2001 and to Afghanistan in 2002, and he took part in the Iraq Invasion in 2003. He returned to Afghanistan in 2011 and 2014, and he also worked at the Pentagon. Wesley received a number of medals and badges for his service, including the Bronze Star, Meritorious Service medal, Global War on Terrorism medals, NATO medal, and Iraq and Afghanistan campaign medals.

According to his father, Barry, Wesley will talk about his uncle James Linton, who survived the Battle of the Bulge. "I think Wes' theme will be about remembering our fallen comrades, and he will zero in on Linton," said Barry. "A lot of people in the congregation will recognize that name."

Garver, who grew up near Quarryville and graduated from SHS before enlisting with the Army in July 2003, was first stationed at Fort Myer in Virginia. He served in the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment as a rifleman, machine gunner, and team leader. He then served with the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Vicenza, Italy, before being deployed as a squad leader in Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom VIII. Garver completed flight school at Fort Rucker in Alabama. Assigned to the 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, he joined the Joint Special Operations Aviation Command and became a special mission qualified standardization pilot and operative with Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion. During his two decades in the service, Garver earned the Meritorious Service, Aerial Achievement, Army Commendation, and Army Achievement medals, among other awards.

A similar Memorial Day event was held at MOPC in 2002. The event was organized by Richard Keene in coordination with a committee planning the 275th anniversary of the church. Barry was part of that committee, and he took on the task of organizing this year's Memorial Day Service in anticipation of MOPC's 300th anniversary in 2027. He noted that Garver was one of the Scouts who took part in the 2002 service, and that Scott is the son of MOPC pastor emeritus the Rev. Robert Tanguy, who gave the dedication to Paxton in 2002.

Following the service, attending veterans will be invited to be part of a group photo, and a luncheon will be served. Readers who would like more information may visit http://www.middleoctorara.org or search for "Middle Octorara Presbyterian Church" on Facebook.