Northern Connection magazine is proud to salute the men and women from the North Hills area who are serving in the military.

November 2007: Representative Mike Turzai Honors Local Veterans

By Paula Green

Every November 11th Americans celebrate Veterans Day.  It is a day set aside to honor the bravery and sacrifice of all U.S. veterans.  It was formerly known as Armistice Day, which commemorated the end of World War I.   Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 with the German’s signing of the Armistice.

In 1954, after having been through both World War II and the Korean War, the 83rd Congress – at the urging of the veterans service organizations - eliminated the word “Armistice” and inserted the word “Veterans.”

“Let us never forget those sacrifices and keep alive the legacy of your generation.  Only through the dedication and heroism exhibited by you and your comrades do we remain a free country.”—Rep. Mike Turzai, 28th District (a quote from his veterans’ citations).

For the past two years, State Rep. Mike Turzai of the 28th Legislative District in McCandless Township has been doing his part to honor local veterans.  In fact, he has held several ceremonies in which former military personnel have been honored.

These dedicated individuals have been located through some very reliable sources.  “My office works in conjunction with American Legion Post 548, and with their help, we are able to find area residents who served in three different wars: World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.  These brave individuals received citations for their years of service to the U.S. military.  The veterans programs were held in Sept. 2005, May 2006, and this year, we held one in August, and another is forthcoming in November.  It is a moving experience because generally these individuals are so grateful for being honored and recognized,” Turzai said.

State Rep. MikeTurzai (far right in both photos) honors veterans Chuck Korbert (photo left) and Jerry Gogolin (photo right).

“In addition to the American Legion, we have also found local veterans through four different nursing home facilities.  We work with St. Barnabas, Cumberland Crossing, Fosnight and Vincentian Nursing Homes.  We have even gone to a few of these facilities and given citations to those who were unable to attend our ceremonies.  So far we have honored approximately 200 servicemen,” Turzai said.

The most recent ceremony honoring U.S. veterans was held on Aug. 16 at Community College of Allegheny County, North Campus, where 47 servicemen were commemorated.  Thirty-two were in attendance; those who were unable to attend the service received their commendations via mail.

The keynote speaker for the event was Retired Lt. Colonel of the U.S. Air Force, Gary Storie.  Other featured highlights included The Presentation of Colors and the Retrieve of Colors conducted by American Legion Post 548.  The Pledge of Allegiance was given by Boy Scout Troop 344.  Another veterans’ service is slated to be held at 1 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 16th at Knights of Columbus onSwinderman Road in Wexford. 

Northern Connection magazine salutes all of our brave servicemen and women for their dedication and commitment to the U.S. Armed Services.  Happy Veterans Day! 

Support Our Troops Archives - click to read about the service men and women previously honored in Northern Connection magazine.