An honor guard stands at attention during the dedication of the Purple Heart Memorial at Lycoming County Veterans Memorial Park in Linden. The dedication of the memorial was attended by dozens of veterans and their families, as well as honored Lycoming County residents who received the Purple Heart. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette
In the middle of the late morning ceremony, Michael McMunn asked the Purple Heart recipients to stand and applaud.
“It’s all about you,” said McMunn. “This is your monument.”
Welcoming those present at the ceremony to unveil and dedicate the Purple Heart Monument at the Lycoming County Veterans Memorial Park at Fourth Street and Wahoo Drive, Charles Stutzman, Vice Chairman of the Veterans Memorial Park Commission, pointed out that the monument to “those who made the ultimate sacrifice.”
He said discussions about establishing a Purple Heart Monument began in 2022 and during the process, the committee also decided how Williamsport and Lycoming County could designate themselves as Purple Heart City and Purple Heart County, respectively. He thanked all the volunteers and leaders who helped push the effort through the state bureaucracy, which he described as “difficult.”
“We erected the monument two weeks ago,” Said Stutzmann.
“This is your park and a park you can be proud of,” he told the veterans present.
The ceremony included the proclamation of Lycoming County as a Purple Heart County, read by Commissioner Scott Metzger, and of Williamsport as a Purple Heart City, read by Police Chief Justin Snyder, an official unveiling of the monument by State Rep. Jamie Flick, R-South Williamsport, and remarks by retired Army Sergeant and Vietnam veteran Robert Lauver.
Lycoming County “Recognizes the sacrifices made by our Purple Heart recipients in defense of freedom and believes that they should be given special recognition in recognition of their bravery,” Butcher read.
“The people of the City of Williamsport feel great admiration and gratitude for all the men and women who have selflessly served their country and this community,” says the city’s proclamation.
Lauver thanked the men and women “who risk their lives” to protect the United States and also thanked the families of the veterans for their sacrifices.
“The Purple Heart is more than a badge,” said Lauver. “It cannot be received by reference or transfer.”
He described the Purple Heart as “Symbol of devotion and steadfastness.”
Two million recipients “have given and sacrificed their blood, and sometimes their minds, and sometimes their deaths,” said Lauver.
Lauver noted that he was especially proud to see the Marines in attendance in the stands, and thought back to the Marines he knew and served with in Vietnam.
“There is nothing more special than a military event,” Flick said, speaking about the military service of his family – his grandfather, his sons and others.
“This monument stands for so much,” he said.
Howard Wilt, a retired Marine who served in Korea and is chairman of the Veterans Memorial Park Commission, thanked the veterans’ spouses and families for their support.
