This holiday weekend, ceremonies will be held throughout Western New York, from parades to the more solemn remembrances of those who died while in military service for the United States. While there's no shortage of events, there is a growing challenge to staff one of the most important elements of Memorial Day gatherings: the color guard.
At issue, according to Erie County Veterans Services Agency director David Shenk, is the aging membership of veteran posts which usually contribute volunteers. Some posts, as their members have aged and died off, have closed in recent years.
"The veterans' average age is continuing to rise, especially those that are active in posts," said Shenk, who is also a First Sergeant in the U.S. Army Reserve. "That has forced some color guards to decrease in size or merge with a neighboring post to be able to have enough people for a good-sized color guard."