Local WWII veteran honors unknown solders in Washington, D.C.

Staff report

LORDSTOWN

A local World War II veteran spent the wintery weekend in Washington, D.C., to participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery.

Roy Gallatin, a Lordstown resident and WW II veteran, served in the Marine Corps in the Pacific theater aboard the USS Princeton.

The USS Princeton was sunk in 1944 during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, a pivotal battle that preceded the U.S. invasion of the Philippines.

Gallatin was joined at the ceremony by 12 of his family members.

“I wanted to remember and honor all of the men I served with during WW II, especially those who never made it home,” Gallatin said.

The wreath laid at the tomb was donated by Parks Garden Center and was decorated by From the Heart, which are both located in Canfield.

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was built in 1921 and houses the remains of unknown soldiers who died in WW I, WW II and the Korean War, and is meant to honor military members who died and were never identified in American wars.