Monessen Pays Tribute to Community’s War Heroes by Renaming Local Landmarks

Last Updated on Friday, 11 December 2020 17:13

By Jill Runfola

The Monessen War Veterans Memorial Trust held a renaming ceremony for the city’s Ampitheater, Walking track and the three Picnic Shelters at the Monessen City Park Amphitheater on Oct. 25, 2020. This event was done in conjunction with the Remembrance of the Anniversary of the Scud missile attack in Saudi Arabia on the 14^th Quartermaster Unit from Greensburg. It marks the Military National Day of the Deployed as well. The ceremony was open to members of the community, as well as friends and families of those being honored.

As the ceremony began, said the welcoming remarks, followed by Chairman John A. Dudas, with the Pledge of Allegiance. Then, Rev Jack Howell, a Monessen War Veterans

Memorial Trust Trustee member, performed the invocation prayer.

Vice Chairman of the Monessen War Veterans Memorial Trust and Commander of VFW Post 1190 in Monessen, S. Ron Chromulak addressed attendees remembering Specialist Robert Lhota, Specialist George Milika, Capt. John P. Onderko, who died in Vietnam, and Specialist Anthony Madison, a 14^th Quartermaster Unit member who was killed during Desert Storm. Chromulak fondly recalled Capt. “Pat” John P. Onderko who was a friend of his, as they attended school together. He further commented on Lt. Col. Edward D’Alfonso whom he didn’t know personally, but served our country well as a conductor of the U.S. Air Force Air Command Band. His daughter, Debbie Le Moal, says that he passed away 25 years ago and loved Monessen. D’Alfonso’s late wife, Helen attended the ceremony from Newport News, VA, and could not even recall her last visit to the city. She is now 100 years old and says that she would not have missed the event.

Chromulak announced that from this day forward, the amphitheater will now be known as ‘Lt. Col. Edward D’Alfonso Amphitheater,’ The Walking Track will be known as ‘Capt. John P Onderko Memorial Track,’ and The Picnic Shelters will be known as follows: the ‘SP4 Robert A Lhota Memorial Shelter,’ ‘SP4 George A Milika Memorial Shelter,’ and the ‘SPC Anthony E. Madison Memorial Shelter.’

“This is just one way to show that the City of Monessen is proud of its patriotic history and wants the world to know it,” said Chromulak. He added, “Anyone visiting the City Park and using or passing by one of the sites will know that we remember, we care, and we are … proud of their sacrifice for our community and our nation.”