412-464-4000
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – East Pittsburgh, PA – In preparation for a 2015 dedication of a Hometown Heroes memorial, the East Pittsburgh Economic Development Corporation (EPEDC) is in search of information and photos of any East Pittsburgh citizen who was killed in action during World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and Middle-East conflicts.
The East Pittsburgh Hometown Heroes World War II Memorial was originally scheduled for Memorial Day of 2014. As EPEDC prepared for the memorial, they realized they wanted to hold a more special event for the community.
“As we started making the program booklet, we only had pictures to go with a few of the names names of the fallen soldiers from East Pittsburgh,” said Kathy Keating, member of EPEDC. “We wanted to give it our all to make sure that every East Pittsburgh citizen possible was recognized for his or her service to our country. We pushed back the memorial to give us time to find that information.”
The group began to pursue photos and biographical information about fallen soldiers not only from World War II, but from all fairly recent wars and conflicts that affected the United States. They plan to gather information until they are sure there is nothing more to find, and to put the names, pictures, and stories about each fallen soldier in a printed booklet for the memorial.
“If we are going to do it, we should do it right,” said Mayor Louis Payne, also a member of EPEDC.
The projected date for the new “East Pittsburgh Hometown Heroes” memorial is on or around Armed Services Day, 2015. In the meantime, they need help to spread the word to families around Pittsburgh, or even those who have moved far away and may have information on a soldier.
To submit information about a fallen soldier from East Pittsburgh, please contact Kathy Keating at 412-824-8313 or email her at kbk535@verizon.net. All photos and other materials will be returned to the owners.
About EPEDC:Media Contact:
Patrick Lanigan, EPEDC Treasurer
412-913-0513