Memorial walls coming to Roscoe
The Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall and the 911 Memorial Traveling Wall Exhibit are coming to the Roscoe Sportsmen’s Association later this week.
The two exhibits will be at the facility at 1069 Sloan Lane, Coal Center, from Thursday through Monday.
Karen Haluschak, a member of the Roscoe Sportsmen’s Veterans Appreciation Committee, said the group has been raising money for three years to bring the exhibits to Roscoe.
“If you have friends or family in Vietnam or 9/11, there’s going to be a large book there,” she said. “When you come over and give us a name, we’ll be able to show you where on the wall your loved one’s name is.”
The exhibits will be escorted to the sportsmen’s association beginning at 5 p.m. Thursday from the Bentleyville Pilot Truck Stop.
State police at Belle Vernon and riders from various area American Legions, as well as members of local fire departments and police departments will be among those in the processional.
“They’ll be blocking off the route as the procession goes,” Haluschak said. “Then, they’ll be falling in line behind us as we pass their area.”
The exhibits will be available for viewing 24 hours a day.
At 8 p.m. Friday, there will be a candlelight vigil and opening ceremony at the sportsmen’s association. Bagpipes will be played as the illumination takes place. Haluschak said for safety reasons glow sticks will be used as opposed to candles.
The ceremony also will include a 21-gun salute, the playing of Taps and a presentation of the prisoner of war table by the Junior ROTC cadets of PennWest California.
The POW table is symbolic of those soldiers who are missing and will consist of a small table set for one.
Guest speakers will be state Rep. Bud Cook, Washington County Commissioner Larry Maggi and Pat Sinclair, who retired as Command Sgt. Major from the U.S. Army Special Forces.
Abby Salzman, daughter of a sportsmen’s association member, will serve as emcee. A prayer will be offered by Ed Stasko, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps.
The national anthem will be sung by recent Charleroi Area High School graduates Sydney Cole and Kaylee Holmes. The color guard will be handled by Col. Joe Walsh and the Junior ROTC cadets.
Haluschak said the walls provide powerful moments for all veterans.
“The majority of your veterans are very personal people and this really pulls at their heartstrings,” Haluschak said. “Even if they had not been in that war, they had been in a prior war and this brings them back to what they’ve gone through themselves.”