Memorial elicits emotions
ZELIENOPLE — Glenda Yingling played her bagpipes at the Fallen Heroes Memorial at Four Corners Park on Saturday, July 1, on her way home from playing at the flag unveiling in Slippery Rock earlier that day.
Even though Yingling planned to attend the welcome program Sunday, she said she just felt like she should stop as she passed by.
“I just have such deep feelings about veterans,” said Yingling, pipe major with the Veterans Memorial Pipe Band in Meadville. “We’re very service-oriented, and I definitely wanted to be a part of this.”
The Zelienople Historical Society brought the giant flag the Veterans and Athletes United (VAU) Fallen Heroes Memorial made out of 7,000 dog tags from veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan to Four Corners Park, where it will stay until Wednesday.
The display is a traveling Global War on Terror Memorial Flag, which honors more than 7,000 fallen veterans and gold star families, according to the VAU.
Adel Fatur, a member of the Zelienople Historical Society board of directors, said the organization always tries to bring a memorial display to the park over the Fourth of July, to pay tribute to military personnel.
“It’s a big deal to bring it in — it’s a lot of paperwork and everything,” she said. “We’ve honored World War I, World War II, Korea and Vietnam.”
Carmen “Corkey” Romeo, executive vice president of Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 862, led the ceremony Sunday, where he described the significance of the display and the meaning behind it. He also pointed out that there were more than 1,000 crosses placed around the Four Corners Park intersection and praised the community for honoring the military.
“If we remember our fallen, we remember our servicemen, remember their names, they will never be forgotten,” Romeo said. “This wall represents 7,000-plus guys and gals that we should not forget.”
The program also featured speeches from state Rep. Stephanie Scialaba, R-12; state Rep. Aaron Bernstine, R-8; Butler County Commissioner Kevin Boozel and Shanea Clancy, a volunteer with VA Butler Healthcare.
Clancy said the memorial is as much a tribute to the families of veterans as it is to the veterans who died serving.
“Gold star families are immediate relatives of members of the United States armed forces who have been killed in combat,” she said. “These families have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country ... We must honor them by remembering their loved ones who sacrificed their lives for our freedom.”
The ceremony included song performances, a 21-gun salute and the release of doves to commemorate the occasion. People wiped tears from their eyes as pianist and singer John Walton sang “America the Beautiful” to close the ceremony.
Fatur said it is worth it to bring in a memorial display each year, and she is happy to complete all the paperwork needed to continue honoring military personnel.
“I think the people appreciate it, and I’m glad to see them honor our veterans,” Fatur said.
