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Dec 4, 2008 8:45 pm US/Eastern
Fundraising Underway For North Shore WWII Memorial
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ―
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But the hope is to have a memorial - dedicated to Southwestern Pennsylvania's WWII veterans on the banks of Riverfront Park by 2010.
KDKA
While those in darkened theaters watched "Movietone Newsreels" - what became "the greatest generation" fought WWII in the air, on land and sea.
But, as General Douglas MacArthur said once, quoting a barracks ballad, "Old soldiers never die, they just fade away."
That sadly is all too true says Sheila Conley, U.S. Navy (Ret.).
"If you look at the obituaries every day and you see anyone that's 80-and-over, then you read and you see they were in the Second World War - it's just hundreds of them," she said.
On Pittsburgh's North Shore, there is a memorial to Vietnam Veterans - and another for those who served in the Korean War. But nowhere is there a tribute to the 4,000 members of the armed forces from Allegheny County who gave their lives in WWII. No place for the living to come.
"In our generation we just went to war and come back and went through our loves and never thought about really putting up a memorial," says U.S. Army veteran, John Vento.
But the hope is to have a memorial - dedicated to Southwestern Pennsylvania's WWII veterans on the banks of Riverfront Park by 2010.
An acre of land is set aside on the Great Lawn. The cost is $3.8 million.
Howard Pfeifer, a U.S. Merchant Marine veteran is on the Executive Committee.
"We feel we have $2 million committed from the state - and the other $2 million from the local folks," Pfeifer said.
The veterans have a 2009 calendar as one of the fundraisers. It features photos of dozens of local men and women from that era - like Howard Hanna, Sr., boxer Billy Conn, Judge John Brosky and Marian Smith.
Besides the great pictures, each month includes lyrics to one of the songs popular on the home front.
"They knew they should have had it - but they're not the type that ever would ask for it - and you have the Vietnam Memorial, the Korean Memorial," Sheila Conley said of the WWII veterans with tears in her eyes. "You had all of those and they just sat back and watched and where's mine?"
Donations for the World War II Veterans Memorial Fund can be sent to:
World War II Veterans of Allegheny County Memorial Fund
P.O. Box 23143
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-6143
More Details
If you'd like to order a World War II Memorial Fund 2009 Calendar, click here for details .
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