The rendering of a memorial plaque honoring the Lackawanna County residents who made the supreme sacrifice during the Vietnam War was presented on Monday, May 11, at a ceremony in front of the Lackawanna County Courthouse at 11 AM, kicking-off Armed Forces Week in our community.
The names of 52 Lackawanna County residents who died in the war will also be engraved on a display piece below the plaque for everyone to review. This monument will be the only one of its kind in our community, and it will be formally unveiled at a September 26 ceremony.
“This will be a very fitting tribute to these individuals,” said Lackawanna County Commissioner Jim Wansacz. “They served their country very well, making the ultimate sacrifice. Their commitment was to bring the freedom and justice that we enjoy every day to people in another part of the world.”
“This recognition is long overdue. Despite the circumstances that surrounded the Vietnam War, these people deserve to be honored,” said Commissioner Patrick M. O’Malley. “They fought the war to make life and conditions better for the Vietnamese people.”
”When finished, this will be a beautiful piece,” noted Commissioner Edward G. Staback. “It will symbolize the strength and courage that the 52 Lackawanna County service members showed when they fought to end oppression in Vietnam.”
The 24 in. x 28 in. collage will be attached to a blank section of the granite wall in front of the Courthouse.
The piece features an American soldier carrying two young children to safety, U.S. destroyers, soldiers walking in a field, a U.S. fighter jet, a soldier on guard, and helicopters picking-up men in a field.
The rendering was designed by Monuments by Parise, Carbondale, and funded by the Lackawanna County Vietnam Memorial Committee.
The general public can also participate in the project by sending in donations, payable to Northeastern Detachment Marine Corps League, P.O. Box 1775, Scranton, PA 18501. Contributors should note on the check’s memo line that the gift is for the Vietnam Memorial Fund.
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