Armed Forces Digest

Armed Forces Digest

veterans

Memorial ceremony

STRUTHERS

The Marine Corps League, Detachment 494, will conduct a memorial ceremony on Oct. 16 at 2 p.m. at the Beirut Peacekeepers Memorial in honor of the 220 Marines, including three area men, 18 Navy personnel and three Army soldiers who were killed in the Oct. 23, 1983, terrorist bombing of a Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon. Area Marines among the 14 Ohio Marines killed in the attack were Lance Cpl. Edward A. Johnston of Struthers; Lance Cpl. Stanley Sliwinski of Niles, and Sgt. James E. McDonough of New Castle, Pa.

The memorial, unveiled Oct. 22, 1989, is on the shores of Lake Hamilton on state Route 616 (Poland Avenue) between Hamilton Boulevard and Fifth Street. The Marine Corps Detachment’s Color Guard and Rifle Squad will participate in the ceremony.

VA burial update

YOUNGSTOWN

The Department of Veterans Affairs may pay up to $700 toward funeral expenses for certain veterans whose deaths occur after Oct. 1. The VA may also pay a $700 plot-interment allowance.

Veterans in receipt of VA pension or compensation at the time of death may qualify. Veterans that die in a VA hospital, in a nursing home under VA contract, or in an approved state nursing home may receive benefits.

For more information, call Susan Skrzynski at the Mahoning County Veterans Service Commission at 330-740-2450.

promotions

Promotion ceremony

Austintown

Marine Corps Capt. Kaitlin (Kempe) Koplin was recently promoted to her current rank during a ceremony at the Iwo Jima Memorial in Washington, D.C., by Brigadier General Kevin Nally.

Koplin, a 2002 graduate of Austintown Fitch High School and a 2007 graduate of the Naval Academy, is an adjutant-information management officer at the Command, Control, Communications and Computers Division, Headquarters, at the Pentagon.

advanced training

Course completed

Ellwood City, Pa.

Seaman Apprentice Dallas L. Delposen (Lincoln High School, Ellwood, Pa., ‘11), son of Michelle Delposen of Ellwood City, recently completed a Naval Intelligence Specialist course.

BASIC TRAINING GRADS

Navy: Seaman Sean T. Gregory (Girard High School, ‘10), son of Renee R. Jones of Girard and Dale L. Gregory of Hubbard; Seaman Targo Parind (South Range High School, North Lima, ‘07), son of Angelika and Yuri Parind of Columbiana; Seaman Thad M. Dearth, Jr. (Sebring-McKinley High School, Sebring, ‘09), son of Darlene M. Dearth and Thad M. Dearth, Sr., both of Sebring; Seaman Recruit Shelton J. Smith (Farrell High School, Farrell, Pa., ‘10), son of Loretta and stepson of Charles F. Green of Farrell; Seaman Jeffrey D. Natale (Mohawk High School, Bessemer, Pa., ‘11), son of Cynthia A. Natale of Bessemer.

Items of note for the Armed Forces Digest can be sent to The Vindicator, Regional Desk, P.O. Box 780, Youngstown 44501-0780, or emailed to alcorn@vindy.com.