Lake Placid American Legion Post 326 veterans Stuart Spotts, left, and Bob Marvin fold a flag in honor of U.S. Army Veteran Bert Wood during a Veterans Day ceremony in Lake Placid in November 2022. (Enterprise file photo —Lauren Yates)

Veterans Day is Saturday. Created over 100 years ago in 1919 to mark the end of World War I, the federal holiday honors the service of veterans alive and dead. Across the Tri-Lakes, celebrations and parades have been planned to honor local veterans.

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Saranac Lake

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The Saranac Lake Fish and Game Club at 726 Bloomingdale Ave. will hold a ceremony at 9 a.m. Saturday to honor local veterans. During the ceremony, they will unveil a plaque to honor World War II veterans. All veterans and the public are welcome to attend the ceremony, which will last until around 10 a.m.

Also in Saranac Lake, there will be a ceremony at the Harrietstown Town Hall at 11 a.m. with refreshments available after the ceremony.

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Lake Placid

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In Lake Placid, the Lake Placid American Legion Post 326 will lower six flags that have been flying since Memorial Day and raise six new flags in honor of local veterans who have died. At 9:30 a.m. at the Adirondack Community Church, which is at 2583 Main St., a flag honoring Glenn William “Bill” Hardy will be lowered and a flag honoring Roland White will be raised. Hardy died in February 2021 at 92 years old. He was born in 1928 in Lake Placid and served during the Korean War. White died in August at 90 years old. He was born in 1933 in Lake Placid and served during the Korean War. Following honorable discharge in 1955, he married Alta Supernaw and together they raised six children in Lake Placid. From 1976 to 2000, he worked as golf course superintendent at the Bald Peak Colony Club in Melvin Village, New Hampshire.

At 9:50 a.m. at Elderwood of Uihlein, which is at 185 Old Military Road, a flag honoring Gary Mesec will be lowered and a flag honoring Henry “Hank” Trombley will be raised. Mesec died in September 2020 at 80 years old. He worked as a mechanic for the New York State Police for 22 years. Trombley died in June 2021 at 89 years old. He was born in Plattsburgh in 1932 and served in the United States Air Force during the Korean War as a surgical medic. Trombley married Gayle Reynolds Wilson in 1985 and was a stepfather of four, grandfather of five and great-grandfather of two.

At 10:10 a.m. at the Lake Placid Health and Medical Fitness Center, which is at 203 Old Military Road, a flag honoring Robert Thompson will be lowered and a flag honoring John Peters will be raised. Thompson was a veteran of the U.S. Army and a longtime resident of Lake Placid. Peters was a veteran of the U.S. Army. A transplant to Lake Placid, he loved to spend time at the ski jumps and volunteer around town.

Afterwards, at 11 a.m., there will be a parade on Main Street. The parade will kick off at the intersection of Main Street and Saranac Avenue and will make its way to the American Legion on Main Street. All local veterans are encouraged to join the American Legion in the parade.

Following the parade, there will be a closing ceremony and luncheon at the American Legion. During the closing ceremony, flags honoring Shirley LaMoy, Thomas Hadjis and Raymond McIntyre will be lowered. LaMoy died in January 2023 at 88 years old. She was born in 1934 in Lake Placid and served in the U.S. Navy as a nurse from 1952 to 1956. She was the wife of Raymond LaMoy and the mother of three sons. Hadjis died in March 2023 at 84 years old. He was born in 1938 in Lake Placid to Greek immigrant parents and grew up working in his family’s restaurants. He served in the U.S. Navy, rising to the rank of lieutenant commander. He later worked as an assistant to the New York state attorney general, then returned to Lake Placid to raise his family. McIntyre died in December 2022 at 93 years old. He was born in 1929 in Lake Placid and went to St. Lawrence University on a full ski scholarship. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He taught at Lake Placid High School, the Rochester Institute for Technology and Paul Smith’s College. McIntyre was the husband of Betty O’Connor McIntyre.

The American Legion will then raise flags honoring William “Bill” Kelly, James Staats and Betty Jean Trantham will be raised. Kelly died in June 2023 at 95 years old. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1945 and served with the Army Corps of Engineers, where he was stationed in Austria, until 1948. He was recalled to serve in the Korean War a few years later and was discharged after 10 months. Kelly returned to Lake Placid and worked in construction. He was also a member of the Lake Placid Volunteer Fire Department and the husband of Mildred Pelkey. Staats died in 2023 at 54 years old. He was born in 1968 in Lake Placid and served in the U.S. Navy for 27 years, retiring as a Gunner’s Mate, first class. With his wife, Lori, he was a full-time traveler in their RV. Trantham died in January 2023 at 72 years old. She was born in Lake Placid in 1950.

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Tupper Lake

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Tupper Lake will observe the holiday at 11 a.m. at the Veterans’ Park on Park Street. The event will feature the Tupper Lake Veterans Honor Guard and the Tupper Lake High School band. Former town council member and veteran Jim Kucipeck will give a speech. Also in Tupper Lake, local veterans groups will honor veterans at the Mercy Living Center at 2 p.m. on Friday.

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Keene

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In Keene, the American Legion Marcy Post 131 will host a ceremony at the Veterans Monument Park on Norton Cemetery Road at 11 a.m. The ceremony will feature an honor guard, rifle squad, music and speeches.

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Bloomingdale

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The town of St. Armand will hold a ceremony at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Veterans Memorial Park in Bloomingdale, which is at 1688 state Route 3. Refreshments will be provided at the town hall following the ceremony.