Capt. Lesley Fierst is Memorial Day speaker

US Navy Captain Lesley Fierst will be the speaker at New Prague’s annual Memorial Day observance, to be held Monday, May 27, at Memorial Park.

The observance includes cemetery visits, a parade from City Hall to Memorial Park, and a program at Memorial Park.

The New Prague Veterans Honor Guard will gather at the Park Ballroom at 8:15 a.m. and depart at 8:45 for area cemeteries.

The schedule includes: 9 a.m. - St. Patrick 9:35 a.m. - St. Benedict 9:55 a.m. - Lanesburgh 10:15 a.m. - Union Hill 10:30 a.m. - Czech National 10:45 a.m. - St. Wenceslaus

The St. Wenceslaus ceremony will follow a Memorial Day Mass offered at the cemetery chapel, which begins at 9:30 a.m.

New Prague’s Memorial Day Parade will begin at 11:30 a.m. Those participating will gather at City Hall, 118 Central Ave. N. Marching in the parade will be the Honor Guard, representatives of the American Legion and VFW, area veterans and their family members. Other parade participants include the Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts and the New Prague High School Band.

George Tupy, past commander of the New Prague American Legion Post, will provide a float for veterans and others wishing to take part in the parade, but unable to walk the route. The float will be at the City Hall prior to the parade.

The parade will proceed south on Central Avenue to Main Street, turn east onto Main, then continue to Lincoln Ave., where it will proceed south, ending near the New Prague Veteran’s Memorial, along Second Street SE in Memorial Park.

The program begins immediately following the parade, where the New Prague High School Band will play the National Anthem. An invocation will be offered by Father Eugene Theisen of St. Wenceslaus Church.

Mayor Chuck Nickolay will give welcoming remarks, and then Captain Fierst will give the main address.

The New Prague High School Band, under the direction of Mark Diischer, will play “America’s Finest in Honor of Our Fallen Heroes.” Past American Legion Post 45 Commander George Tupy and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5145 Commander Nick Slavik will read a list of names of New Prague area servicemen buried at Fort Snelling National Cemetery, overseas, or elsewhere. They will then lay a wreath at the Veterans Memorial, with a rifle salute from the New Prague Veteran’s Honor Guard. The playing of “Taps,” by Steve Skluzacek, will conclude the ceremony.

In case of inclement weather, the program will be held at the Park Ballroom.

Captain Fierst is a New Prague native and a 1993 United States Naval Academy graduate with a B.S. degree (with Merit) in Mathematics. He is also a graduate....

To see more on this story pick up the May 23, 2019 print edition of The New Prague Times.