NEWS
MONTGOMERY COUNTY OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS
COURT HOUSE, NORRISTOWN, PA., BOX 311, 19404-0311
PHONE (610) 278-3061 FAX 278-5943
COMMISSIONERS:
THOMAS JAY ELLIS, ESQ. Chairman, JAMES R. MATTHEWS , RUTH S. DAMSKER
RELEASE: IMMEDIATELY 01/23/07 PR#07-03
MONTGOMERY COUNTY TO BUILD MONUMENT TO HONOR
IRAQ WAR FALLEN
NORRISTOWN — The Montgomery County Commissioners will commission a memorial to residents and those with close ties to the County who have fallen in the Iraq War.
The Commissioners have directed Director of Veterans Affairs James Seader to contact all of the veterans groups in the County to solicit their input on a design. A budget of $50,000 has been set.
The memorial will be located in the Public Square, a park adjacent to the Court House at Swede and Main Streets, where the Civil War, Vietnam War, Order of the Purple Heart and Fallen Police Officers memorials are located.
The idea for the memorial came from a petition the Commissioners received asking that the office building the County recently purchased in Norristown be named for Spc. John Kulick, a Whitpain firefighter who died in Iraq while serving in the National Guard in 2005.
Unfortunately, there have been 11 people from Montgomery County or who had close ties to the County who have died in Iraq. The Commissioners have decided that rather than honor just one of the fallen, it would be more appropriate to memorialize all of them.
“We feel that a memorial is an appropriate way to honor all those from Montgomery County who have given their lives in the service of their country,” Commissioners Chairman Thomas Jay Ellis said.
It is also unfortunate that this war appears to be far from over and that more County residents may fall while serving our nation. The memorial will have to be designed to accommodate additional names should that become necessary.
Montgomery County Casualties:
Lt. Col. Anthony L. Sherman, 43, Pottstown
Lance Cpl. Joseph B. Maglione, 22, Lansdale
Cpl. John Todd, III, 24, Bridgeport
Lt. Col. Mark P. Phelan, 44, Green Lane
Sgt. 1st Class Paul D. Karpowich, 30, Bridgeport
Spc. John Kulick, 35, Harleysville
Mjr. Jeffrey P. Toczylowski, 30, Upper Moreland
Spc. Tristan C. Smith, 23, Bryn Athyn
Sgt. John T. Bubeck, 25, Collegeville
Pvt. Travis C. Zimmerman, 19, New Berlinville
*Pvt. Zimmerman’s father is a Montgomery County Corrections Officer
Spc. Kurt E. Krout, 43, Spinnerstown
*Spc. Krout’s wife and children live in Montgomery County
