Recordpub.com - Celebrating independence: Military tribute in Mantua

Charles C. "Skip" Boehnlein of the Burton American Legion Post 459 joins members of the Mantua American Legion Post 193 July 3, at the Green Holiday Festival hosted by the Green Funeral Home in Mantua to pay tribute to our countries military and kick off the nights celebration.

By Diane Smith

Record-Courier staff writer

MANTUA — Ryan Fraedrich of Streetsboro has been serving his year-long tour of duty in Iraq since January.

But today, he’ll get a chance to see not only his parents, but also his beloved beagle, who joined in a video tribute to him.

The tributes were recorded as part of the festivities at Green Family Funeral Home, which hosted an outdoor concert Friday in celebration of Independence Day.

The concert was being broadcast live on the Internet via the funeral home’s Web site, www.greenfamilyfuneralhome.com.

Families who had a loved one serving in the military had the chance to have video messages recorded for their loved ones serving around the world. The greetings will be placed on the funeral home Web site, which also will include a memorial honor roll listing the names of fallen soldiers from the area.

Bill Fraedrich and his wife, Robin, took the opportunity to pay tribute to their 22-year-old son.

Ryan, a soldier with the 137th Aviation Regiment of the Ohio Army National Guard, is stationed at a base in Balad, which is outside Baghdad. He serves as a communications security specialist, taking care of technology issues on computers and the military’s Black Hawk helicopters.

“We told Ryan we’re very proud that he’s defending freedom on the 4th of July, so we can celebrate the 4th of July in the future,” Bill Fraedrich said.

Also taking part in the tribute was the family dog, whose name is Precious.

“Ryan can’t stand to call her that, so he calls her ‘Igor,’” Fraedrich said.

Veterans with the American Legion posts in Burton and Mantua fired off a salute to fallen soldiers. Before the tribute, audience members and the band sang “America the Beautiful.”

About 200 residents watched the band Compass Rose sing folk songs and Irish music. The audience assembled on the lawn of the funeral home in lawn chairs, and as gray skies began to clear, more people were drawn to the concert.

Marcia Ames and Terri Bosko of Mantua attended the concert with Bosko’s cousin, Audrey Toth of Twinsburg. The three women, all clad in red T-shirts, said they believed it was important to support the local tribute.

“They’ve been doing this every year, and for a while, we’ve been saying we need to get up here,” Ames said. “I think it’s a great, great thing.”

Bosko said the group was mindful of soldiers who are now deployed.

“I think that’s why we’re here, to honor them,” she said.

Jan Herman of Hiram said she was thinking of her family members who had served in the military. Her uncle, Joseph Seljan, had headed an organization known as Forgotten Vets.

“I’m really praying for him tonight,” she said.