Memorial Day services at Hazen, Stanton
By Daniel Arens
As summer approaches, communities around the United States will pause Monday, taking time to reflect on the sacrifices that have preserved our nation’s freedom.
In Mercer County, the towns of Hazen and Stanton hold ceremonies to honor our country’s fallen warriors on Memorial Day. Unlike Veterans Day, which honors all American servicemen and women, Memorial Day is dedicated to those who gave their lives for the nation.
Chuck Crouch, a veteran living in the Bismarck area, will be the keynote speaker at this year’s Memorial Day service in Hazen. Originally from Shattuck, Okla., his wife is a native of Bismarck, which led the family to North Dakota.
After graduating from high school, Crouch entered the United States Air Force. He briefly served in the Air Force’s Drum and Bugle Corp; he served on active duty from July 1, 1960 until December 1963.
Crouch was stationed at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, and Altus Air Force Base, Okla., before being sent briefly to Cigli Air Base, Turkey, in 1962-63.
