Valley Memorial Day services altered due to pandemic

By JEFF STITT

jstitt@yourmvi.com

Although it wasn’t declared a national holiday honoring all fallen American veterans until 1971, veterans’ organizations and municipalities across the country have observed Memorial Day in some form or another since the late 1860s, following the Civil War.

It’s long been tradition to have large public gatherings at war and veterans’ memorials on the final Monday in May to honor those who have served and fallen in service to the United States before heading out for a cookout, concert, fireworks display or your favorite swimming hole.

But in the Mon Valley this year — thanks to coronavirus pandemic restrictions on social gatherings — most of those services are going to be short and sweet with a minimal crowd.

For the first time in retired U.S. Air Force veteran Rob Chromulak’s memory, Monessen’s Memorial Day service will be private. 

“We’re not going to have any kind of a public thing,” Chromulak said. “We are probably going to have a very small private thing involving members of the VFW and American Legion to show respect to our fallen comrades. It will be a small, dignified memorial program.”

Chromulak said members of Monessen Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1190 and Monessen American Legion Post 28 are feeling a mix of emotions about having to tell the public they are not permitted to attend the ceremony at Monessen City Park War Memorial.

“It’s upsetting. Usually when we have our ceremonies we try to include local students and other people into the program,” he said. “We usually have like a one hour, one hour and 15 minute program at the war memorial up by the walking track.

“This is kind of an inconvenience, but we understand the necessity of not being able to have a full-blown program.”

Chromulak said one of the city’s annual Memorial Day traditions carried on this year.

“We did get the flags put on the graves,” he said. “There was some question as to whether that was going to happen or not. It was done through the efforts of some very dedicated citizens in this town.”

Wally Fronzaglio of the Mon Valley Leathernecks said Donora’s regular Memorial Day services have been canceled as has the Monongahela Memorial Day parade. Elsewhere in the Valley, White Oak borough and American Legion Post 701 also canceled this year’s Memorial Day parade.

Fronzaglio said members of the Leathernecks and the Mid Mon Valley Shipmates as well as honor guard members from Donora and Mon City will meet at the war memorial in Monongahela Cemetery Monday morning to perform an honor guard ceremony.

“A small service will be held. There will be no speeches and no pedestrians will be in attendance,” Fronzaglio said.

He said the group conducting the small tribute will also perform small non-public ceremonies in Black Diamond, Van Voorhis and New Eagle.

“It’s upsetting to all us veterans,” Fronzaglio said. “All of us want to honor our past and fellow veterans, especially those who gave their lives to defend our country. We are kind of upset that we’re not honoring  them like we should be.”

Veterans who are laid to rest at Mon Valley Memorial Park in Donora are being honored today by members of Rostraver Township Volunteer Fire Department No. 1 in Webster, Borough of Donora Emergency Services and the Mon Valley Jeepers. The three groups will join forces with cemetery staff to place nearly 2,000 flags on the veterans’ graves, according to Mon Valley Memorial Park family manager Brandon Smigel.

Smigel said that the cemetery’s parent company, CMSEast Inc., is a family-owned business.

“We are a family-owned company and know how important this day is to families of veterans,” he said. “It’s important to have recognition of veterans who served and are laid to rest at Mon Valley Memorial Park.”

Webster fire Chief Bob Bettinelli is helping Smigel organize the effort to place flags.

He said volunteers from the three groups participating will take coronavirus pandemic precautions as they place flags today.

“We can maintain our social distancing, we’re outside,” he said. “For everything these veterans have sacrificed and done for this country, for us to spend two hours outside to do this is important. 

“These veterans have selflessly done so much to preserve our rights, freedoms, our way of life and our constitution. What we are doing to honor them in no way compares to what they have done for us as an entire county.”

Bettinelli said his brother-in-law and father are veterans.

“It gives me a sense of honor and pride to be able to place these flags on the graves of our veterans,” he said.

The chief said this is the second year the three groups have joined forces to place flags. Last year, 30 to 40 volunteers spent two or three hours placing the flags.

McKeesport City Administrator Tom Maglicco said he, Mayor Michael Cherepko, members of the city’s veteran’s committee, Burt Foster American Legion Commander Bobbie Billsborrow and Commander Tom Bergan of McKeesport AMVETS Post 8 will gather at Memorial Park on Lysle Boulevard to mark Memorial Day.

“We’re most likely, because we’re still in yellow, going to stick with what the governor and CDC are saying and have a gathering of 25 people or less,” Maglicco said, adding that he thinks the number of people in attendance will be more like 11 or 12.

He said the ceremony will likely not be open to the public, but that the city intends to take photos, and possibly a video, which will be posted to the City of McKeesport – Mayor’s Office Facebook page.

Maglicco, a U.S. Army veteran who served in Afghanistan, said it is important to him and his fellow legion and AMVETS comrades to hold a ceremony, even if the public won’t be in attendance.

“I think I can speak for all of the veterans committee, including mayor, when I say that our love for this country and the veterans who serve this country is strong. It is our honor to pay tribute to our veterans,” he said. “The mayor always says ‘thank a vet,’ and that’s exactly what we’re doing.”

Maglicco said the annual LaRosa Boys and Girls Club of Western Pennsylvania Memorial Day ceremony for the “LaRosa 11” and the “McKeesport 23” will not be open to the public.

The McKeesport 23 are a group of 23 young men from McKeesport who perished in service to their country during the Vietnam War. Eleven of those 23 men are known as the LaRosa 11. The 11 men were lifelong friends and regularly attended after-school and sporting activities at the LaRosa club. The club is the home of a bronze memorial honoring the LaRosa 11. A memorial for the McKeesport 23 is located in the McKeesport Area High School outdoor courtyard.

Maglicco said he, the mayor and LaRosa Boys and Girls Club Director Jim Barry, who is also a McKeesport councilman, will host a small, private ceremony for family members of the LaRosa 11 and McKeesport 23.

As is tradition, Charleroi American Legion-Post 22’s firing squad, ladies auxiliary and other members will gather at five area monuments to conduct short Memorial Day services.

“We haven’t advertised the services, but the public is not being discouraged from attending,” Charleroi American Legion Ladies Auxiliary President Johanna Menia said. “There are usually not a lot of people at the services. We are encouraging everybody to practice social distancing, wear masks and that type of thing, even though it’s outside. We are hoping people will just be smart.”

She said the legion wants “to have some semblance of normalcy” this Memorial Day.

The services will take place at 9 a.m. at the Speers memorial, 9:30 a.m. in Fallowfield Township, 10 a.m. in North Charleroi, 11 a.m. in downtown Charleroi and at noon in Dunlevy.

“The veterans put their lives on the line for us so that we can have the rights we have and live the life that we are able to,” Menia said. “We’re going to do everything we can to keep the services safe.

“Our vets played a big part in our history and we just want to make sure we give thanks to them. It wasn’t like what they were doing was always the safest thing either. Our guys really feel that it’s necessary to continue to support and honor their loved ones — their fathers, grandfathers, brothers, sisters.”

Showing patriotism from a distance

Chromulak and Fronzaglio have suggestions for Valley residents and fellow veterans who can’t attend a proper Memorial Day service this year. They’re encouraging area residents to get creative about how they can honor veterans and fallen American heroes during the age of social distance.

“With the social distance that we have to do now, I think it would be a really good idea if people would either call, text, send an email or even put in writing a little thank you to someone they know who is a veteran or to the family of a veteran who lost their life in the service,” Chromulak said. “That would be a good thing.”

“Fly a flag in front of your residence,” Fronzaglio said.

“I live right behind City Park (Monessen),” Chromulak said. “There’s a lot of flags flying in my neighborhood. That’s a good thing to see.”

“Take some time to think about the veterans who gave their lives for this country so that we have what we have,” Fronzaglio said. “Visit a grave of a loved one who served and let them know you’re thinking of them. Honor our veterans who gave their lives for this country. Don’t just have a cookout.”

Maglicco said another way area residents could pay tribute to fallen veterans is by privately visiting a memorial in their town over the Memorial Day weekend when no one else is present.

He said residents could also reach out to area veterans’ organizations to find out if they need assistance with any volunteer efforts or putting American flags on veterans’ graves.

Maglicco said he knows Memorial Day is meant to honor those who have died, but he feels it is never a bad time to thank a veteran who is still with us.

“Do something simple and personal,” he said. “You could take it upon yourself to contact a brother, sister, grandfather, mother, brother, cousin or loved one who has served and thank them for their service.”