Borough to host third Veteran’s Community Day

POTTSTOWN » For the third year, Pottstown Veteran’s Community Day will be held in Memorial Park on Sept. 29.

The event, which serves as a fundraiser to help address the needs of Veterans Island in Memorial Park, will showcase the recent installation of two new luminaries at the World War II memorial. The project was financed by The Veterans’ Island Project, a nonprofit group dedicated to maintaining and enhancing “the island” at Memorial Park.

“Vandals destroyed the previous installations, and you can’t have the flag flying at night without a light source,” says Cathy Paretti, co-founder of the Veterans’ Island Project. “Parks and Rec does a great job servicing Pottstown, but with 15 parks throughout the borough their resources get stretched thin. That’s where we come in.”

The goal, says Paretti, is to have an organization working with the borough but financially independent of it, raising funds on it’s own to more quickly address the needs of the island.

“The local chapter of the VVA attends to the Vietnam War memorial, but no such entity was in place for the World War II memorial or the various plaques and markers that have been laid down by local organizations over the years, all of which need upkeep. Then we have plans for landscaping, hardscaping, and more memorials to come. This is a long-term project that we are fundraising for,” said Paretti.

The 3rd Annual Pottstown Veteran’s Community Day will be held on Saturday, Sept. 29, on the island at Memorial Park. A ceremony begins at 11 a.m. and is free and open to the public.

This year’s honorees are Robert Boyce, James Galloway, and Frank Strunk, each a veteran of the Vietnam War.

“It’s a great way for the public to get out and honor these guys,” says Mike Murphy, CW3 PAARNG and a member of the Veterans’ Island Project’s planning committee. “A lot of people don’t know their stories because veterans aren’t the type to brag, so we try to get their stories out on their behalf.”

Food and drink will be available to purchase from the Spring City American Legion Post 602.

Any local Vietnam Veteran who wishes to attend can email their name to cathy@veteransislandproject.org by Sept. 27 to receive their own certificate from A Hero’s Welcome at the event.

This year’s event is sponsored by Thompkins Visit Bank Pottstown Branch; Dana Corporation; Casey Service Club, Father Bally; Father Bally Council #1192 Knight of Columbus; Knights of Columbus, 4th Degree, Stowe; Patriot Pest Control; VVA Chester County Chapter 436; GPA Military Vehicle Society; Dave Garner Esquire; Joseph Browne in memory of Joseph Howard, WWII Glass Tear Honoree; David & Sandra Bohn in memory of Terry Foulke