GIRARD — Earl R. Ridener spent much of his life in the construction business building homes, but he also had built a foundation upon which sits the legacy of a man who reached far beyond himself, those who knew him say.

“He served as a Navy boatswain mate,” Ridener’s son, Richard Ridener of Vienna, said. “He was in the Pacific (Theater) aboard an aircraft carrier.”

The elder Ridener, who was in the U.S. Navy from 1943 to 1946, also was among the hundreds of service members who were remembered and honored during a Wreaths Across America event Saturday afternoon at the Girard-Liberty Union Cemetery, 950 N. State St.

A similar wreath-laying ceremony took place earlier in Hartford, and several events took place in Mahoning County earlier this month.

An estimated 100 people attended the somber program to honor those who are serving or have served in all military branches, then place wreaths next to the gravesites of about 550 veterans buried in the cemetery who had fought in World Wars I and II. Their headstones were marked with small orange flags.

Also remembered for their sacrifices were those still considered prisoners of war or missing in action.

After re-entering civilian life, Earl Ridener, who died July 2, 2004, went into business with Richard Ridener’s grandfather building homes in McDonald, Girard, Liberty and Youngstown. When his grandfather retired in 1967 and moved to Arizona, Earl became a construction superintendent in Niles, Richard recalled.

“He was a good father. He taught me carpentry, and we worked on properties together,” Richard said of his father, who also became a born-again Christian.

Joining Richard at his father’s gravesite were cousins Susan Scheidly of Newton Falls and Bruce Mills of Vienna, whose fathers, John Reapsummer and Victor Mills, also served in the Armed Forces and are buried in the cemetery.

“My dad was a fantastic person who loved to kid around. He did masonry and carpentry,” said Scheidly, adding her father served in the U.S. Coast Guard from 1941 to 1945 and was on the USS Arthur Middleton, a 489-foot transport ship launched in June 1941.

Scheidly, who also is Earl Ridener’s niece, said her father worked at the former Ohio Leatherworks Co. in Girard and Rogers Lumber Co.

Victor Mills was a World War II Navy veteran who served as a machinist aboard the USS Medusa, a purpose-built fleet repair ship that was commissioned in September 1924 and served the Navy until 1946.

“He was a machinist on the ship, and it was what he did the rest of his life,” including when he worked at the former Syro Steel Co. in Girard, which later became Trinity Steel, Mills explained.

“He was a joyful and happy man. He always had jokes, and his sarcasm was unbelievable,” Mills said with a chuckle.

Acting as the event’s master of ceremonies was Kevin Hubler of Girard-based American Legion Post 235, who noted the local gathering was among such events that took place Saturday at more than 1,200 memorial sites across the U.S.

“Lying here before us and in cemeteries throughout the nation are men and women who gave their lives so that we can live in freedom and without fear,” Hubler said in his remarks. “We thank those who gave their lives to keep us free and shall not forget you.

“Today, many of you here are veterans of wars and conflicts that America has had to fight to protect the innocent and oppressed. … Many of you here today have answered that call and served your country well. We are here today to say thank you, and we are honored to know you.”

Hubler also asked attendees who lay wreaths to honor the veterans by saying aloud their names and thanking them for serving the nation.

“Remember, we are here to remember not their deaths, but their lives,” he said.

Additional remarks were from Girard Mayor James Melfi, who encouraged attendees to use the holidays to reflect on their loved ones who made the ultimate sacrifice serving their country. It’s also a time to think of and appreciate immediate family, he said.

Also during the ceremony, one wreath each was laid next to a large flagpole to represent those who served or are serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, Navy, Army, Coast Guard, Air Force and Merchant Marines. A seventh wreath was placed to remember the 93,129 men and women whose last known status is prisoner of war or missing in action.

Wreaths Across America is dedicated to remembering the country’s fallen veterans from the Revolutionary War to present-day conflicts, teaching children about the value of freedom and honoring those who serve. The organization coordinates events at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia and about 2,100 other sites in all 50 states, at sea and abroad, its website states.

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