Too often we remember veterans on Nov. 11, then promptly forget them.
That's why a group of people - and an event being held tonight - is so special.
Those who hold veterans - and veteran issues - close to their heart will gather tonight at the Springfield Country Club for the annual gala fundraiser of the Delaware County Veterans Memorial Foundation. They are the people responsible for the glorious new veterans monument located on West Chester Pike in Newtown Square.
Tonight also will mark the first annual awarding of the Freedom Medals to seven most deserving Delco residents, including Ralph Galati, the St. James High grad who spent 405 days as a POW in the 'Hanoi Hilton' in North Vietnam. He was imprisoned there with another man you may have heard of - his name is Sen. John McCain. Others to be honored tonight include Cornelis McGinley, a veteran of the Korean War; Thomas McGovern, who served in World War II and Korea; and Kristie Robson, who is currently serving as a doctor in the Navy Medical Corps in Afghanistan.
Several citizens also will be honored, including Nick DeBenedictis, the head of Aqua Pa., Walter and Jayne Garrison and Karen Carlson.
We hosted a panel discussion last night on our 'Live From the Newsroom' show to update the monument, which has now been gleaming there on the side of West Chester Pike for about a year and a half, as well as tonight's special gala.
If you missed the show you can catch the replay here.
My thanks to Guy Fizzano, head of the Delaware County Veterans Memorial Foundation, and one of the driving forces behind the memorial; Springfield Police Chief Joe Daly, chairman of tonight's gala, and Barbara Ann Zippi, who works closely with the group to promote veterans' issues.
The monument is open 24 hours a day, and offers a perfect place for a moment of solitude in which to remember the sacrifices veterans have made for all of us.
Daly may have said it best, when he said it really is a fitting tribute to the men and women of Delaware County who served their country so well.
If you haven't visited, I urge you to do so. It's a moving experience - and a way to keep veterans in mind other than on Nov. 11.
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