VETERANS DAY SERVICE YSU remembers 56 of its own who died while in the military

Two sisters attended to honor their father, who fought in World War II.
By WILLIAM K. ALCORN
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- The names of 56 former Youngstown State University students, faculty and staff who died while on active military duty were read aloud during a service of remembrance.
The service was Wednesday at the YSU 9/11 Memorial instead of the YSU Veterans Memorial, which was inaccessible because of construction.
The names of the dead were read by YSU faculty and staff who also are military veterans. The service has been an annual event since 1996.
"Many of the veterans remembered today were students who walked through this campus just as students do today. They worried about papers that were due or tests to be taken. They were happy to be outside on a fall day like this," said Marine Corps veteran Michael Shepherd, guest speaker for the service.
In addition to Shepherd, those who read the names were: Paul Lambert and Jerry Fullum, who served in the Navy; Tom Delvaux, Marine Corps; and Terry O'Conner-Brown, Jim Olive, Joe Sepesy, Bill Countryman and Ed Taylor, all Army veterans.
Remembering father
Sisters Terry Fullum of Austintown and Debra Beronja of Youngstown, whose father, Sam Beronja, fought on Iwo Jima, an island in the Pacific Ocean, during World War II, were among the 25 to 30 people who attended the service.
"We always go to veterans events. It's a way to honor our dad, who's not here. He has a plaque at Veterans Plaza. He was still alive when we bought it. He always said it was his favorite gift," Fullum said.
Most of the veterans honored served during World War II. However, there are also a number from the Korean War and Vietnam War eras.
As YSU's associate director of events, Pam Palumbo says she does events for veterans all the time as part of her job.
"But I also have tremendous respect for veterans and what they have done for this country," she said.
"This service lets us remember our veterans. We could show no greater disrespect than to not remember them," Shepherd said.
What occurred
Wednesday's service included a color guard from the YSU Army Reserve Officer Training Corps. A rifle detail from the Tri-State Detachment of the Marine Corps League County fired a salute.
Air Force Staff Sgt. Richard Metro, 35, was added this year to the list of remembered YSU veterans. Metro died of cancer Sept. 9 at Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D., where he was a bioenvironmental specialist. A graduate of South Range High School, Metrol enrolled at YSU in 1987 and eventually graduated from Kent State University.
Veterans Day honors those who served in the armed forces. On Nov. 11, 1918, the Allies and the Germans signed the truce known as the Armistice that officially ended World War I.
The holiday began in 1926 as Armistice Day to honor those who served in World War I. The name was changed to Veterans Day in 1954.
Nearly 25 million Americans are veterans.