Huron County residents will gather together in communities across the Upper Thumb to honor those who have given their lives in service to their country. A small number of dedicated community members are making sure the Bay Port-Pigeon area continues to honor those veterans made the ultimate sacrifice.. (Metro Creative Graphics/File Photo)
Huron County residents will gather together in communities across the Upper Thumb to honor those who have given their lives in service to their country.
A small number of dedicated community members are making sure the Bay Port-Pigeon area continues to honor those veterans made the ultimate sacrifice.
This year's Memorial Day ceremony will take place at 9:30 a.m. Monday, May 30, at the memorial park in Bay Port.
The event is being organized by Bay Port residents Clark Elftman and Sandy Brown. Elftman is a member of the Caseville American Legion, which he joined after the Bay Port post was permanently closed due to declining membership.
Elftman, who will lead Monday's ceremony, was a member of the U.S. Army in the early 1960s, stationed in Germany. A scout, he patrolled the border between East and West Germany during the Cold War in a jeep. He was there when the Soviets erected the Berlin Wall, and though the Cold War never became "hot," Monday is an opportunity to honor those men and women who gave their lives to ensure the ‘free world” stayed free.
"It was a real eye-opener," Elftman said.
This year's ceremony will feature music from the Laker High School band, led by Samantha J. Corrion, and will culminate in a rendition of "God Bless America."
Mark Birdsall has been the assistant editor of the Huron Daily Tribune since April 2022. Mark was first hired by the Tribune in the summer of 2019 to serve as sports editor, covering high school sports and running the Tribune's annual football contest. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit Huron County and shut down high school sports in March 2020, Mark made a temporary move to news and officially joined the newsroom as a reporter in July 2021.
Prior to arriving at the Tribune, Mark was night desk editor for the Cadillac News, where he also helped out the sports department on busy high school football and basketball nights. He previously worked at the Holland Sentinel and the Greenville Daily News.
He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in print journalism from Grand Valley State University, where he was editor of the student newspaper, The Lanthorn.
A native of Bay City, Mark is an avid fan of the Detroit Red Wings, Detroit Tigers, Michigan State Spartans and the Chicago Cubs. He's also a movie buff and enjoys attending live music events in his spare time.
Mark can be reached by phone at 989-623-3188 or by email at mark.birdsall@hearstnp.com