New veterans' honor roll to be dedicated in Lemont Furnace

By Josh Krysak , Herald-Standard

10/09/2003

After having to delay the dedication of a new honor roll in Lemont Furnace because of location concerns, area residents will have a chance Saturday to commemorate those who have served in the armed forces as the new wall will finally be dedicated at 1 p.m.

Members of the Lemont Furnace Crime Watch/Concerned Citizens have worked for about five years to build the new honor roll and to secure grants to fund the project, member Connie Bryner said. She said the project has cost about $10,000 and is being funded through a grant from State Rep. Richard Kasunic and Arthur Cappella, the county's chief community development specialist. Bryner said without Cappella, the dream of an honor roll might not have become a reality.

"He helped us so much. He actually helped us write the grant," she said.

According to Bryner, the new honor roll will not be located where the old one once stood before being destroyed in the 1960s, but has been built at the North Union Township fire Department along with a firefighter's memorial, which will not be dedicated until completion later this year.

"The firemen were generous enough to let us build it at the fire department," Bryner said.

The location for the honor roll had to be moved after the North Union Township Supervisors expressed concerns about reconstructing the memorial at the old location at Hawks Crossing.

Supervisors said the location did not provide adequate parking and that vandalism would also be a concern. They suggested the honor roll be built on the fire department grounds.

Bryner said the new honor roll will not have the individual names of the veterans on it as the committee had trouble compiling a list of all the veterans from the area, but will have plaques dedicated to each branch of the armed forces. She said with the names left off the wall, no one gets left out by mistake.

"It will honor veterans of past, present and future wars," she said.

Bryner said the honor roll will have three flagpoles and will also have 13 flags representing the 13 wars U.S. forces have been engaged in. She said four guest speakers are planned for the event including Kasunic and Cappella, and that refreshments will be served.

For Bryner and the other members of the committee, the dedication is the completion of a goal that started over five years ago when the group decided the honor roll needed to be rebuilt so area citizens could remember the sacrifice of those who have served.

"We just thought we needed a wall to honor the veterans again," she said.

ŠThe Herald Standard 2003