Donora’s AP Delsandro Veterans Memorial rededicated

More than a decade of planning went into the project, which was celebrated on Veterans Day.

Under a cold, gray sky the sounds of a single bagpipe drifted through Donora as people walked together down Meldon Avenue, red poppies pinned to their coats and hands tucked in pockets against the chilly temperature.

This Veterans Day was more than a ceremony, it was a promise kept.

The newly rededicated AP Delsandro Veterans Memorial honors not just one man’s service and legacy, but the 86 local heroes who never came home and every veteran who returned bearing the invisible weight of war.

Together, their names and stories filled the cold air with warmth, pride and quiet gratitude.

The AP Delsandro Veterans Memorial, newly reconstructed and renewed after more than a decade of planning, was rededicated in a heartfelt ceremony Tuesday morning on the site where its namesake, World War II veteran and former Mayor Albert P. Delsandro, once fought to preserve both community and country.

Delsandro, believed to be the first from Donora to enlist in World War II, went on to serve five consecutive terms as mayor, leading the borough through the painful closure of its steel mills. He died in 1983, the same year the original memorial was erected in his honor.

Time and weather wore down the original structure, but the community that loved him never let go of the vision.

“This rededication has been 10 years in the making,” said Ron Delsandro, nephew of AP. “Ten years of fundraising, planning and hard work by a lot of good people. Without you, we have no charity, no memorial, no rededication. Thank you for all your support.”

The ceremony began with the national anthem sung by Monongahela Mayor Greg Garry and opening remarks from Jeff Kotula, president of the Washington County Chamber of Commerce, who reflected on the importance of the day.

“We recognize a debt that we can never repay to those whose bravery endures,” Kotula said. “For some, a fading photograph or a name on a war memorial. But for families, those memories are etched in their hearts forever.”

The event honored not just the town’s history, but its heart — both the heroes who never returned and those who came home carrying the lifelong burden of service.

There were 86 proud Donora citizens who gave their lives in World War I, World War II, Korea and Vietnam. Their names now shine anew on freshly cast bronze plaques, set beneath four sweeping murals that capture the American spirit across generations of conflict.

But the memorial also speaks to the living — the veterans who walk among us, whose stories and sacrifices continue to shape the community.

“This memorial is more than stone and inscription,” said Jamie Colecchi, CEO of the Mon Valley Alliance. “It’s a living reminder of the men and women from Donora who answered the call of duty. The strength of this community is built on the shoulders of those who served.”

Sen. Camera Bartolotta, R-Carroll Township, called the ceremony “a remarkable outpouring of love,” noting how time stands still for the families of the fallen.

“When we say ‘thank you for your service,’ we also mean thank you for the memories you missed, the nights your loved ones waited to know you were safe,” she said.

Her words gave way to one of the most personal reflections of the morning, as Donora Mayor Don Pavelko offered a tribute to a classmate’s brother, Staff Sgt. Gerald James Lynch, who was killed in action in Cambodia during the Vietnam War.

Pavelko shared how he first heard of Lynch’s death as a 15-year-old freshman at Mon Valley Catholic High School. The news spread quietly through the halls, and buses were offered to students who wished to attend the funeral. “I didn’t know the Lynch brothers well back then,” he recalled, “but I remember that day. The mood in school changed. We all felt the loss, even if we didn’t know what to say.”

Years later, Pavelko found himself living just around the corner from the Lynch family’s home on First Street. He often walked with Gerald’s father, exchanging small talk, but never the words that truly mattered.

“I would walk with Mr. Lynch two or three times a week,” he said, pausing. “But I never gave him my condolences for the loss of his son.”

On this Veterans Day — more than five decades later — Pavelko finally spoke the words he had carried for so long.

“So today is my chance to give the Lynch family my heartfelt condolences,” he said. “The 86 names on this panel show the price Donora paid to keep us free.”

That sentiment of sacrifice and enduring respect was echoed by retired Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Dave Papak, who spoke next. Having returned to the Mon Valley after decades in the military, Papak said ceremonies like this are exactly what brought him home.

“Veterans write a blank check to this country,” Papak said. “We never know how or if it’ll be cashed, or for what cost. But I can say this: the Delsandro family and everyone who made this memorial possible have proven what it means to be faithful to our veterans.

“This is why I came back. To be around people who have the guts to turn a dream into a reality, and who ask for nothing in return.”

Among the many voices that shaped the morning, one of the most stirring belonged to longtime supporter William Booker — a man whose connection to Donora isn’t by birth, but by choice, heart and shared values. Originally from West Mifflin, Booker has been involved with the AP Delsandro Memorial Committee for more than a decade, drawn in by the enduring spirit of the town and the commitment of people like Tom Delsandro.

Booker, whose parents and brothers all served in the military, reflected on the deeper meaning of the memorial. He spoke not only of those who died in combat, but of the lives that were never lived because of war — the families never started, the communities missing coaches, mentors and neighbors who never got the chance to grow old.

“When Tom reads those 86 names,” Booker said, pausing to steady his voice, “I’m thinking of the mothers and fathers who never stopped waiting, the brothers and sisters who never stopped missing and the sweethearts who never got to grow old together. These weren’t just names. They were futures. And this memorial — this town — makes sure they’re not forgotten.”

He looked out over the crowd, many of them wearing red poppies, some dabbing at their eyes. “This place wasn’t handed to you,” he added. “You built it — every raffle ticket, every golf outing, every name remembered. That’s what makes Donora special.”

The rededicated memorial now features three new pedestals holding restored bronze plaques, four 5-by-10-foot original murals depicting scenes from the wars, landscape improvements with seating for reflection and lighting to illuminate key features after dark.

The site, which sits along Route 837 next to the Donora Post Office, stands as the result of years of persistence, partnership and hometown pride.

Its renewal was made possible by a $119,000 grant from the Washington County Local Share Account — combined with countless volunteer hours, community donations and four decades of grassroots fundraising through efforts like the AP Delsandro Memorial Golf Outing.

What began as a shared dream slowly became a shared achievement, built by a community determined to see it through.

The event concluded with a traditional three-volley rifle salute performed by members of the Donora American Legion.

A ceremonial flag was then retired, folded with care and presented to Lynch’s sister, Margaret Lynch Blais.

As the final moment approached, Tom Delsandro stepped forward to close the ceremony, not with a farewell, but with a call to remembrance.

“We built this so no one forgets,” he said. “Not just the 86 names, but every man and woman who wore the uniform. This memorial is for them, and for every generation after, so they’ll know what it cost.”