West Chester Vietnam Memorial Scholarship Charitable Fund established

WEST CHESTER >> The Chester County Community Foundation is pleased to announce the creation of the West Chester Vietnam Memorial Scholarship Charitable Fund. The Fund has been established by local Gold Star Families and Vietnam Veterans in memory of the eleven men from the West Chester area who gave their lives for our country in the Vietnam War. Scholarships will be awarded each year in honor of these individuals and to keep alive the memory of their sacrifice for our country. Family members of the first and last men from West Chester killed in the Vietnam War, CPL Ernest E. Orendorff Jr. USMC and Specialist 5 Nathanial Matthews, were instrumental in establishing this charitable fund.

Monies are being raised to fund an endowment fund for the scholarships. It is the Founders’ goal to raise sufficient funds to be able to award eleven scholarships each year in the name of each of these individuals. Donations may be made to the West Chester Vietnam Memorial Scholarship Fund c/o CCCF, 28 West Market Street, West Chester, Pa 19382 or online at ww.chescocf.org.

The West Chester Vietnam Memorial Scholarship Fund provides scholarships to Bishop Shanahan High School and/or West Chester Area School District High School seniors who have a family member who is a veteran. Applicants are asked to write an essay about their family member(s) who is a veteran and how their service impacted the applicant’s life, as well as describing how the applicant plans to honor the service of the family veteran in the future. Scholarships will be awarded each year on a competitive basis to a deserving student who maintains a minimum 3.0 GPA and, in the judgment of the West Chester Vietnam Memorial Scholarship Committee, best demonstrates financial need while exhibiting school and community involvement. The student must plan to attend college or a trade school. Interested applicants should to speak to their guidance counselor for more information on how to apply for this scholarship or reference the Chester County Community Foundation’s website at www.chescocf.org.

The list of those the scholarship honors is as follows:

• 2LT GENE SMEDLEY McMULLEN USMC

Punahou Academy - KIA July 16, 1966

• CPL ERNEST E. ORENDORFF JR USMC

Bishop Shanahan High School – KIA August 3, 1966

• LCPL BLAINE A. De BOARD JR USMC

Henderson High School – KIA December 29, 1966

• SPEC4 DAVID C. STANLEY USA

West Chester High School – KIA September 14, 1967

• MAJ LOUIS F. GUILLERMIN USAF

West Chester High School KIA April 30, 1968

• LCPL DWIGHT DAWSON JOHNSON USMC

West Chester High School– KIA MAY 4, 1968

• SPEC5 PAUL L. COSGRIFF USA

Bishop Shanahan High School –KIA October 21, 1968

• PFC THOMAS MICHAEL MARCHAND USA

Bishop Shanahan High School – KIA June 12, 1969

• LCPL ELDIN G. BERGER JR USMC

Henderson High School – KIA October 9, 1969

• 2LT ROBERT W. DONAHUE JR USA

Archmere Academy – KIA November 28, 1969

• SPEC5 NATHANIAL CARL MATTHEWS USA

Henderson High School – KIA August 10, 1971

The West Chester Vietnam Memorial Scholarship is a fund of the Chester County Community Foundation. Located in downtown West Chester, the Foundation leads, inspires and encourages organizations and individuals to contribute to lasting philanthropic charitable legacies. For more information regarding the West Chester Vietnam Memorial Scholarship or the Chester County Community Foundation, contact www.chescocf.org or 610696-8211. Donations may be made to the West Chester Vietnam Memorial Scholarship Fund c/o CCCF, 28 West Market Street, West Chester, Pa 19382 or online at ww.chescocf. org.

Vietnam Vet Gold Star families