Veterans Honored for Sacrifices, Service to Country

The sacrifices Bloomingdale and other area veterans made in service to the United States were remembered at a ceremony Monday.

“To all of our veterans we have a very simple message, ‘thank you’,” said Mayor Jonathan Dunleavy. “Thank you for your unwavering service, in peacetime and war here in this nation and throughout our world.”

Members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 154 and post 8096, both from Butler, attended the brief ceremony. They laid a wreath at the borough's veterans memorial.

“You never expect anything really,” said John Turko, the post’s vice commander.  
“It’s a good feeling to have people come up and just thank you.”

Dunleavy spoke of the sacrifices that veterans have given to the United States throughout the country’s existence.

“We recognize that all of our veterans have given something to this country, something of themselves, and some have given it all, laying down their lives to defend the freedoms that we all hold so dear,” Dunleavy said. “Let us never forget that we cannot rightfully celebrate the joy of our freedom without remembering the great price that was paid for these freedoms.”