Carbon County's largest tribute to veterans - the Summit Hill Memorial Day Parade - will kick off at 11 a.m. Monday.

Before the parade, the community's traditional memorial service, hosted by American Legion Post 316, Summit Hill, will take place at 10 a.m. in Ludlow Park.John F. "Skeeter" Rutch Jr., a veteran of the Korean War, will be the guest of honor, leading a four-division parade that has 89 entries. Rutch's civic involvement includes having been a longtime member of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Summit Hill, where he participated in fundraising and fund drives; former Catholic Youth League basketball coach; a past member of the Summit Hill Borough Council; and an 11-year member and past chairman of the Coaldale-Lansford-Summit Hill Joint Sewer Authority.At the close of the memorial service, he will ring the old Summit Hill High School bell that sits in Ludlow Park, and then take his position at the head of the parade that will proceed west on Ludlow Street, round St. Joseph Catholic Church, and continue eastbound for the entire length of White Street before disbanding at the cemetery complex.Memorial servicesThe Davis-Lawton-Yurko-Breslin-Bevich American Legion Post 316, Summit Hill, will hold the Memorial Day weekend observances on both Sunday and Monday.The Sunday service will be held at 1 p.m. in St. Joseph's Cemetery in the White Bear section of the community, where Mayor Paul McArdle will deliver the keynote address. It will be followed on Memorial Dayby a 10 a.m. service in Ludlow Park, preceding the parade.James Bonner, Ph.D., a native of Summit Hill, will be the keynote speaker at the service in the center of town.A son of the late James and Loretta Bonner, Bonner is a 1965 graduate of Marian High School who earned his undergraduate degree from East Stroudsburg University, a master's degree from Lehigh University and his doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania.He served as an Army drill instructor from 1971-73, primarily at Fort Knox, Kentucky, and then spent 40 years in education, retiring as assistant superintendent of the York Suburban School District before working for the Pennsylvania Department of Education.He is married to the former Barbara Schlosser of Tamaqua.Both programs will be opened by W. Kevin O'Donnell, commander of Post 319, who will be the master of ceremonies and also offer welcoming remarks. The Rev. James Burdess, pastor of St. Joseph Catholic Church, Summit Hill, will ask the invocation and pronounce the benediction at both services.Also at both services, Kiley Boswell will sing the national anthem; Mayor McArdle will conduct the POW-MIA ceremony; Gregory Miller, Post 316 chaplain, will read the Roll Call of Deceased Veterans since Memorial Day 2015; taps will be played by a Panther Valley High School Band bugler; and Commander O'Donnell will offer closing remarks, followed by the benediction.In White Bear, other speakers besides McArdle's main address will be Keith and Courtney McCall, son and daughter of former state Rep. Keith McCall and his wife, Betty. Both are students at Marian High School. Keith will recite Lincoln's Gettysburg Address and Courtney will offer "In Flanders Field." Another Marian student, Michael Witczak, will render Logan's General Order.In Summit Hill, Bonner's address will be preceded by student orations by three other Marian students, Robert Middleton, Lincoln's Gettysburg Address; Anthony Collevechio, Logan's General Order; and Shauna McArdle, "In Flanders Field."