Scott Fink to speak at Memorial Day ceremonies

Local veterans who have made the ultimate sacrifice as well as all those who have served will be honored at special Memorial Day ceremonies next Monday, May 25, at local cemeteries.

The annual ceremonies will be held in three locations in North Big Horn County: 8 a.m. at the Byron Cemetery, 9 a.m. at the Cowley Cemetery and 10 a.m. at the Lovell Cemetery.

The public is encouraged to attend any or all of the ceremonies to honor veterans. Local veterans, organized by longtime Wyoming National Guardsman Rich Fink, will form a color guard and conduct the ceremonies. Jerry Anderson will be the master of ceremonies.

Each ceremony will begin with a ceremonial march to a cadence provided by drummer Meg Anderson, and after a welcome by Jerry Anderson, Chaplain Reed Williams will give a prayer and Terry Wilkerson will lay flowers at each site.

Lovell Elementary Students directed by music teacher Chauna Bischof will sing a patriotic number, later singing a second number.

The color guard, commanded by NCOIC Allen Sessions, will include Butch Fink, Leroy Collins, Frank Wilkerson, Jim Thomas, Bruce Jolley and True Hatch. “Taps” will be performed by Ray Messamer and David Peck.

Guardsman to speak

This year’s speaker will be former Wyoming Army National Guardsman Scott Fink, who served in the National Guard for more than 30 years.

Fink, 61, was born in Lovell and served on active duty with the U.S. Army from 1971-74, stationed in South Korea from 1972-74. He joined the Wyoming Army National Guard in June of 1980.

Fink served as the principal logistics advisor for the mobilization of every Wyoming Army National Guard unit from 1991 through 2009 and served as Wyoming’s first Command Chief Warrant Officer from 2001 through 2011, advising the adjutant general and staff on all matters relating to warrant officers in the state.

He was mobilized in 2010-11 as a senior logistics officer stationed in Djibouti, Africa, with the U.S. Army Command Africa.

Fink and his wife, Lisa, live just outside of Lovell and winter in Casa Grande, Ariz. They have two children, Jessica and Jared.

By David Peck