A moderate breeze picked up at Odd Fellows Cemetery just as Eric Zizelmann began a roll call of area military veterans who passed away since last year’s Memorial Day services.

It was like the off-and-on wind present throughout the morning in Tamaqua, only this one dislodged papery samaras from an elm tree. And almost as if on cue and almost like snow, hundreds of the elm’s seeds swirled and fluttered in the air as Zizelmann remembered the deceased.

“Americans for all times will treasure the gifts that these men and women have so selflessly given to us,” said Zizelmann, master of ceremonies for the 155th Annual Memorial Day Service.

The service at the cemetery’s Soldier’s Circle followed the Memorial Day parade on Broad Street.

Guest speaker Tracy Fisher, Arlington, Virginia, explained that the war dead was typically buried where they perished. It wasn’t until the 20th century that the United States aimed to bring the deceased home so their family could bury them in a private or military cemetery.

Because of that, she said, there isn’t just one place to honor the dead, such as the Gettysburg National Cemetery.

“That also means that there aren’t many cemeteries in this country where you won’t find” the final resting place of a veteran, said Fisher, who earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Notre Dame, a master’s degree in National Security Studies from Georgetown University, a Ph.D. in American History at George Mason University, and her law degree from the University of Minnesota.

“Headstones tell stories. Sometimes you can tell by the dates that the person died during the war,” she said. “But if you keep reading headstones, sometimes you will find a veteran who fought in a distant war as a youngster, came home, married, had kids. Did that veteran remember afterward the time they spent in war with buddies, hoping to survive the battle, hoping to survive the flu, hoping not to die of boredom? Sure. But often they didn’t talk about it - they thought civilians weren’t up to hearing the details.”

Fisher encouraged folks to visit graves with military markers.

“Think about the life the headstone represents, and the family that had to make a difficult choice during a terrible time,” she said. “That family wanted that grave in that place. They might be gone now but you’re here. And that’s something you can do to honor the dead, the families and their sacrifice. You can do that on this day or any day.”

Jack Zimmer read the story of Navy Commander Daniel Shinton Gothie of Tamaqua, an officer-in-charge of a naval base in the Philippines.

Japanese forces attacked Gothie’s base three days after the attack on Pearl Harbor. He was eventually taken prisoner of war and lost his life when the Japanese “Hell Ship” he was aboard was sunk by an American submarine on Oct. 24, 1944.

His family did not know of his demise until at least 8 months after his death.

Also during the service, Jeane Towle led attendees in the reading of “The American Creed” and the Tamaqua Raider Band played a number of patriotic songs.

Deacon Edward Girard offered the invocation and benediction, and the Tamaqua American Legion C.H. Berry Post 173 led salutes. The ceremony included a wreath laying, and the playing of taps.

Jon M. Zizelmann, West Penn Township, was grand marshal of the parade.