web1_TTL092815swoyersinstall.jpg

Andrew Lawrence Post 644 installs officers

web1_pony.jpg

Amish Cook: Happy 50th, Dorcas, and Gloria’s homemade ranch dip

<p>PLYMOUTH &#8212; The 12th Ward Honor Roll bears the names of the World War II veterans who lived in that ward of the borough.</p><p>The Honor Roll had fallen into disrepair but residents have worked to ensure the veterans&#8217; legacies live on.</p><p>A dedication ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday at 445 Second St. where the Honor Roll is located in the backyard of Charles and June Steinhauer.</p><p>Charles Steinhauer, 61, saw the memorial as a way to honor the heroes of the past.</p><p>&#8220;We cannot forget or fail to honor those who served,&#8221; he said. &#8220;So many other monuments to a great country and its heroic citizens have gone by the wayside. I feel as though we have saved an important piece of history that serves to help define our country and the people&#8217;s dedication and sacrifices that has made it great.&#8221;</p><p>Son Ae Filchak, a former resident of Plymouth and native of South Korea, and the Steinhauers were instrumental in giving the Honor Roll a new form.</p><p>Filchak first saw the Honor Roll in 1988 when her former husband, U.S. Air Force recruiter David J. Filchak, moved to 466 Second St., across street from where the Honor Roll is located.</p><p>Filchak and her husband saw the Honor Roll was in bad shape, so they took steps to restore it.</p><p>&#8220;David reached out to Mesko Glass and the community for the individual name tags,&#8221; Filchak said. &#8220;They donated their time and materials.&#8221;</p><p>Filchak also said the homeowners at the time, along with Squadron 209 Civil Air Patrol, provided woodworking and painting for the restoration. The name tags were placed on the board, and other repairs were made.</p><p>&#8220;We were all very proud because the community got together with teamwork and successfully restored the Honor Roll,&#8221; Filchak said.</p><p><strong>More restoration</strong></p><p>Years later, however, it seemed the Honor Roll once again could not stand the test of time.</p><p>Filchak visited the site again in March 2014, and found the Honor Roll to be in poor condition. Many of the name tags replaced in 1988 were broken and their frames rusty; the wood was rotten and an attached Eagle was missing.</p><p>Filchak said her &#8220;heart was broken&#8221; when she saw the poor condition, but she also knew what had to be done.</p><p>&#8220;There was no question about the need to restore as soon as possible,&#8221; she said. &#8220;We restored it before with the communities&#8217; support, so I knew that we could do it again.&#8221;</p><p>Filchak then met with the Steinhauers, as well as John Mazur, commander of American Legion Post 463 in Plymouth, who all supported the idea to support the Honor Roll&#8217;s restoration.</p><p>Over the next year, Filchak said the project moved slowly and did not meet the initial deadline. In November 2014, the Steinhauers volunteered to be project managers for the restoration.</p><p>This time, however, Filchak wanted a permanent solution &#8212; bronze.</p><p>&#8220;We decided to use bronze for the name tags which are located around the area,&#8221; she said. &#8220;They will be in one big piece of bronze to prevent the name tags falling apart in the future.&#8221;</p><p>After more meetings with the Steinhauers, they decided to use bronze for the entire project.</p><p>What used to be an Honor Roll made of rotting wood and broken name tags has since turned into an 1,100-pound, bronze monument that cost approximately $25,000.</p><p>Filchak, who covered those costs, chalked it up as the right thing to do.</p><p>&#8220;We are able to live in today&#8217;s world because of what happened before and soldiers who fought for their country and freedoms for all of us,&#8221; she said. &#8220;I felt that money can&#8217;t buy soldiers&#8217; lives back, but at least we can show our respect and appreciation for what they have done for our country and for the world.&#8221;</p><p>Filchak also added as time goes on, less and less people are talking about World War I. She fears World World II will be the next to be &#8220;forgotten,&#8221; unless memorials like the Honor Roll are preserved.</p><style>
.neFileBlock {
	margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
	margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
	border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
	padding-bottom: 5px;
	padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
	font-size: 85%;
}
</style>
<div class='neFileBlock'>
<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/web1_TTL092915plaque.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">The World War II Memorial Honor Roll on Second Street in Plymouth will be formerly dedicated this Saturday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/web1_TTL092915plaque.jpg</photo0><caption0>The World War II Memorial Honor Roll on Second Street in Plymouth will be formerly dedicated this Saturday. </caption0><photoCredit0>Clark Van Orden | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Travis Kellar</p><p>tkellar@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Travis Kellar at 570-991-6389 or on Twitter @TLNews</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Dedication ceremony to be held for 12th Ward Honor Roll in Plymouth