Monument will be a tribute to WWII vets

MERCER, Pa. -- Ground will be broken at 11 a.m. Thursday on the east lawn of the Mercer County Courthouse for a monument to World War II veterans.
It will be more than just a tribute to those who served, said Vince Darcangelo, a member of the monument planning committee.
It will feature three panels: one for the Pacific front, a second for the European front and the third to recognize those who served at home, from the women who entered factories to build airplanes and torpedoes to those who organized rubber drives and other war-related activities, Darcangelo said.
The base for the monument will have bricks memorializing individuals who served in the military. The bricks will list the individual's name, rank and branch of service.
Darcangelo said the plan is to dedicate the completed monument on Dec. 7, Pearl Harbor Day.
The project cost $100,000, and about one-third of that money has been raised, he said.
The sale of the memorial bricks will help fund the project and there have been corporate contributions as well as various fund-raising activities involving veterans groups across the county, Darcangelo said.
The bricks cost $50 each and can be secured by contacting Gary Solander, Mercer County director of veterans affairs, at (724) 662-3800.