Obituaries

Aaron J. Girvan

I am writing an open letter to U.S Sen. Bob Casey and U.S. Rep. Paul Kanjorski.
I have been asked to join in the quest to have the Pennsylvania miner honored by having a U.S. postage stamp created in his honor. The people who are active in this cause are absolutely right when they ask, why is the miner denied when stamps are created to honor birds, insects, boats, cartoons and Hollywood stars?
The coal miner sacrificed his health, as well as his life, so that the Industrial Age would prosper. The best the coal miner got for his labor and sacrifice was a meager living for his family and black lung. Men such as my grandfather, John Dillon, died a terrible death due to a faulty explosive, and he left behind a widow with 12 children. His story was no different from hundreds of other miners who made the same sacrifice. Is asking for a memorial stamp to honor these men too much?
The difficulty in getting this long-overdue honor in place is absolutely baffling. During the Casey/Santorum campaign, U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum promised a local advocate that, if elected, he would see that a stamp was created. Santorum lost and it seems the idea was lost with him.
The family roots of both Senator Casey and Congressman Kanjorski run deep in the anthracite region. It is only fitting that the offspring of such hardworking and dedicated ancestors take this coal miner stamp issue to a final and successful conclusion.
On behalf of every surviving coal miner son, daughter, grandson and granddaughter, I ask you both to join in this worthwhile effort.

Casey, Kanjorski Need To Work For A Stamp To Honor Pa. Miners