Apr 5, 2017 3 min read

A chilling milestone in American history was commemorated on a chilly morning Wednesday in Cecil Township.

“We’re here to remember the men and women who served in World War I, known to that generation as ‘The Great War,'” Ron Hestdalen, director of the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies, said at the start of a wreath-laying ceremony.

Today is the 100th anniversary of the United States’ entry into the conflict, when Congress voted to declare war on the German Empire. The wreath-laying was scheduled for a day earlier, in conjunction with the “Moments of Remembrance” ceremony the cemetery conducts the first Wednesday of every month.

More than three dozen military veterans, including a dozen in the color guard, attended. For them, braving the cold was minor compared with braving the battlefields of Korea, Vietnam and the Gulf.

The last surviving WWI veteran, Frank Buckles, died in Charles Town, W.Va., six years ago, but he and his fellow soldiers from that long-ago war are being honored this week around the world. The National Cemetery Association is having wreath-laying ceremonies for the 353,082 WWI veterans who are interred at its 135 national cemeteries, including the one in Cecil.

Locally, Hestdalen opened with a brief address. Wayne McGinnis, a Vietnam veteran and McDonald native, then read the names and service branches of the 30-plus veterans interred at the cemetery in March – a main feature of the monthly ritual.

Washington County Commissioner Larry Maggi and McGinnis, a fellow retired U.S. Marine, presented the wreath, encircled by the message “VA proudly remembers Our WWI Veterans.” Members of the color guard fired three rifle shots, followed by a trumpeter playing “Taps.”

World War I was a grisly affair featuring trench warfare, rampant disease, poison gases and, for the first time in combat, biplanes and armored tanks. It began with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and lasted more than four years – July 2014 to November 2018. The war pitted the Allies (U.S., France, the British Empire, Russia and others) against Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire and others.

WWI was contested largely in Europe and resulted directly in 14 million deaths – including 5 million civilians – and 7 million permanently disabled soldiers. Although the United States was involved for only 19 months, 53,402 of its citizens were killed in action, 63,114 died from other causes and about 205,000 were wounded.

A total of 105 Washington Countians died while serving, according to Susan Meighen, county director of veterans affairs. Almost half – 51 – were killed in action, while 26 died from wounds; 20 from disease; and eight in accidents.

The city of Washington had a county-high 38 deceased soldiers. Monongahela was second with 11, followed by Burgettstown and Donora (eight apiece). Charleroi lost five, and Canonsburg, Dunns Station, New Eagle and Roscoe each had 10 soldiers die.

National Cemetery of the Alleghenies, which opened in 2005, is the final resting place for five World War I veterans. None of them died while in service and all lived to at least 70. They are, alphabetically by last name: Robert Ammon, who died at 81 in 1978; Howard Burchlaw, 73, in 1973; Joseph Hosek, 78, in 1974; George Miller, 85, in 1985; and John Streiner, 70, in 1965.

Hestdalen, also a retired Marine, runs a staff of 15 at the Cecil cemetery. Thirteen of them are veterans.

He is a native of North Dakota who has settled into the area, Hestdalen was gratified by the turnout Wednesday, but that did not surprise him.

“The people of Western Pennsylvania are very patriotic,” he said. “They understand and appreciate the contributions of veterans. We will continue to work to honor veterans.”