Good Morning, Pennsylvania: Memorial Day; Big 33 game; Artsfest

Good morning, Pennsylvania.

They can’t forget

It’s been about 50 years since the Vietnam War ended, when the final troops left the Asian country. For so many veterans, though, that conflict has never ended.

We talked to Vietnam veterans in central Pa. this month. Like their colleagues around the U.S., they remember those who were killed, the battles and, for many, the horrifying treatment they experienced when they came home from war.

Started for the Civil War dead, Memorial Day is for remembering those who died in U.S. military service. Perhaps it’s a good time, too, to take special care of those who are trapped with their memories.

Now, let’s take a look at this morning’s headlines.

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Vietnam vets remember: In 1973, the last American troops left Vietnam. By then, more than 58,000 U.S. soldiers had died. To mark the 50th anniversary of the end of that conflict, PennLive reached out to Vietnam veterans to ask about their memories this Memorial Day:

Gap service: Indiantown Gap National Cemetery held its its 40th annual Memorial Day program on Sunday afternoon.

Memorial Day programs: Several places in central Pa. will be holding Memorial Day-themed parades, ceremonies and other events honoring those members of the military who died during service. Many schools are closed today, and some businesses have alternative hours.

A country to save: The brave fought so this country could be built on tolerance. What happened to that?, our Nancy Eshelman asks.

Concert time: Blink-182 has reunited for the first time in a decade for a North American tour. It included a stop Friday night in Hershey. How was it?

Artsfest along the river: Harrisburg’s Artsfest continues today with entertainment, music, and about 25 food trucks and vendors.

Fancy drink: A colorful mermaid drink from Quinn’s Coffee Bar, a central Pa. food truck, goes on our Best Eats list. It tastes like a “tropical paradise,” its creator says.

Student loved baseball: The 19-year-old who died after being hit in the head by a wooden dugout being removed from a Harrisburg park had always loved baseball and dreamed of going pro, his sister said. He also encouraged others to follow their dreams.

Bear euthanized: The Pennsylvania Game Commission said that it has captured and euthanized the bear that attacked two small children in Luzerne County a week ago. The commission had thought the bear was killed in a car crash, but DNA identified a different one.

Sandusky ordered to pay: A judge ordered Jerry Sandusky, the former Penn State assistant football coach, to pay nearly $45,000 to cover the costs incurred as part of his preliminary hearing and child sex abuse trial more than a decade ago.

Graduations: Students from Trinity High School and from Dallastown High School graduated during ceremonies held Friday night.

Special grad: A 6-year-old service dog who loyally accompanied his person to every class at Seton Hall in New Jersey joined her in receiving a diploma last week. He even carried it in his mouth across the stage.

Prom: Lebanon High School’s prom was held Friday night at the Eden Resort in Lancaster. Other high school proms were earlier in the season.

State wins: Pennsylvania edged Maryland in yesterday’s Big 33 game, the “Super Bowl of High School Football.”

Bears go ahead: The Hershey Bears took a 2-1 series lead in the AHL Eastern Conference Finals with a victory over the host Rochester Americans. Game 4 is tonight.

OTHER DON’T-MISS STORIES

TODAY’S OBITUARIES

• Click here to read PennLive obituaries.