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By Ken Askew

Union Township resident William Castor, an 83-year-old US Air Force veteran of the Korean War and a lifelong resident of Union Township, had an inspiration—why not rename the athletic fields and park located next to Brownsville Road Extension to honor veterans?

Township, County , and State officials attend Park renaming.

In a ceremony on September 24, 2016, attended by over 50 people who agreed with the idea, the park was officially renamed “Union Township Community and Veterans Memorial Park.”

Emcee duties were handled by Jim Christman, a Marine veteran. Larry Spahr spoke respectfully and eloquently about an impressive and lengthy recitation of local veterans--citing their names, which war they served in, and something personal about their experiences. The flag raising was performed by Darryl Russell, a Marine veteran of the Vietnam War, whose ancestors also fought in WWI and WWII. During the flag raising, Toria Sevick, a youthful soloist from Monessen, offered a memorable rendition of the Star Spangled Banner—in the middle of the song, an extremely loud tri-axle dump truck slowly crawled up the hill past the park, and briefly drowned out part of her performance, in spite of her voice being amplified by outdoor speakers. Like the example set by millions of courageous military veterans before her, when confronted with a challenge by an adversary, she was not intimidated, but instead bravely did not give up before the job was done. Patriotic music and a 21-gun salute were then provided by the Mon Valley Honor Guard.

Notable guests included PA State Representative of the 39th District Rick Saccone, Washington County Board of Commissioners Larry Maggi, and Union Township Supervisors Paul Chasko, Charles Trax, Heather Daerr, and Deborah Sargent.

Thanks also go to the Union Township road crew for landscaping, hardscaping, and beautifying the grounds with many items donated by local businesses.

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