Warrington Remembers The Sacrifice, Adds New Name To Its Memorial Wall

WARRINGTON, PA — Warrington Township paused on Saturday to remember its fallen patriots and to add a name to its Memorial Wall of Honor.

John Scala, the chair of the township’s Veterans Affairs Committee, led a ceremony at Igoe Porter Wellings Memorial Field that included the laying of a wreath, the playing of taps and the addition of the name Charles Baxter to the wall.

Baxter served in the United States Navy during the Korean Conflict. His relatives were on hand to accept the recognition from the township.

Members of the Baxter family in front of the memorial now etched with the name of their relative, veteran Charles Baxter.

Placing a memorial wreath at the Memorial Wall are Dennis Igoe and his cousin, Walt Graham. Igoe's brother, Bill, died in 1967 while serving in the Vietnam War.

The event also featured a wreath laying by Dennis Igoe and and his cousin Walt Graham in memory of the Warrington Township soldiers who never came home.

Igoe’s brother Bill, a resident of Warrington, died on July 11, 1967 while serving in the United States Army during the Vietnam War. Bill Igoe is one of the individuals for whom the park is named.

At one point during the ceremony, Scala invited members of the gathering to share with the group friends and relatives who fought and died for their country.

“I lost three friends in Vietnam,” said Scala. “They were 21, 20 and 17. There’s not a day I don’t think about them. They are young, they never got sick and they never got old. In my heart they are still the same age. And that’s the way I like to keep them.”

Larry Bullock remembered his great uncle Warren who died in the trenches during World War I less than two months before the Armistice was signed ending the war.

Another attendee asked the gathering to remember 24-year-old Airman Daniel Miller, of Galesburg, Illinois, who was killed in a bomb blast with two others in 2007 near Bagdad, Iraq. Also killed in the blast were Senior Airman Elizabeth A. Loncki, 23, of Delaware, and Tech. Sgt. Timothy R. Weiner, 35, of Tamarac, Fla. The three were assigned to the 775th Civil Engineer Squadron, Hill Air Force Base, Utah.

Members of the Veterans Association of Military Musicians perform during the ceremony.

The ceremony also included remarks by US Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick and State Rep. Brian Monroe and a poem and a song by resident poet Larry Bullock.

Music was provided by the Veterans Association of Military Musicians. The Rev. Father Joseph C. Bordonaro of St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church provided the invocation and the benediction. And the colors were presented by the United States Civil Air Patrol 902.

The colors are retired by the United States Civil Air Patrol 902

Veterans are recognized during a medley to the U.S. Armed Forced.