Butler County's 2020 Veteran of the Year, LeRoy Bunyan of Renfrew, shows off the sign on his car before Saturday's Veteran of the Year luncheon at American Legion Post 778 in Lyndora.

LYNDORA — LeRoy Bunyan, Butler County's 2020 Veteran of the Year, was installed in a ceremony Saturday at American Legion Post 778, 150 Legion Memorial Lane.

Bunyan participated in a flag line during the ceremony, along with his fellow American Legion Riders, a motorcycle-riding contingent of Legion members.

Bunyan, of Renfrew, a member of Post 778 and vice president and original member of the American Legion Riders, was elected to the position by a vote of the commanders of the county's American Legion and VFW posts, the Marine Corps League and the American Legion Riders.

Dennis Christie, the president of the Riders, said the veteran of the year is chosen for his community service after his military career.

“He was a founding member of the American Legion Riders in 2003. He's involved with Toys for Tots,” Christie said. “He was very instrumental in preparing the ground for the Moving Wall in 2017.”

The American Veterans Traveling Tribute was brought to the Butler VA facility on New Castle Road in August 2017.Forty-three of the 58,313 names on the 80 percent replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., were Butler County residents who were killed in action in the Vietnam War between 1965 and 1971.The Butler County American Legion Riders brought the tribute from Cranberry Township to Butler Township, escorted by a group of 1,030 motorcycles.He organized funding for the annual Riders motorcycle raffle during the pandemic, participates in the annual Toys for Tots campaign and is active in the Butler County Veterans in Need program.When local Memorial Day activities were canceled this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bunyan organized a small ceremony honoring veterans in Butler's Diamond Park and served as the event's master of ceremonies.Bunyan, who served in the Navy from 1968 to 1972, participated in a flag line during the ceremony along with his fellow American Legion Riders.“I served as a mechanic with the test pilot school at the Oceana Naval Air Station in Virginia for a year and a half and then I was with a fighter squadron aboard the John F. Kennedy,” Bunyan said.Bunyan said he was a founding member, “one of the original 17” when the American Legion Riders formed in 2003.In addition, he has been an American Legion member for 35 years and active in many of the local veterans organizations.Bunyan retired after 35 years as a machinist with Millwright Union Local 2235 out of Pittsburgh.On being elected veteran of the year, Bunyan said, “It's one of the biggest honors of my life other than my family to be voted on by other veterans.“It's a very great honor. I'm sure there are a lot more people out there that deserve it more than I do. I'm proud to serve as that year's veteran,” he said.Bunyan said ceremonies like the one on Veterans Day in Butler are imperative because they remind citizens that many men and women served so American rights remain intact.

From left, American Legion members Mike Shook, 2020 Veteran of the Year LeRoy Bunyan and past Veteran of the Year Al Worsley met outside American Legion Hall 778 Saturday morning before the luncheon honoring Bunyan's election.