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thedrifter
12-16-07, 08:40 AM
Soldier memorial idea draws concerns

Commissioners say banner project for fallen War on Terror soldiers might set “open-ended” precedent

By Alex Roarty, Sentinel Reporter, December 14, 2007

Cumberland County has been thrust headfirst into the debate over how to appropriately honor soldiers killed during the War on Terror.

Peggy Morrison, a Newville woman whose son was killed in Afghanistan three years ago while serving in the Marines, asked county commissioners Thursday morning to fund the creation of nine “fallen heroes” banners — one for each county resident killed since August 2001 while serving in the military.

The banners would be placed somewhere in the county, potentially at a central location like the Square in Carlisle, she said. They would likely show a name, picture and location of death.

The City of Harrisburg had a similar collection of banners displayed around its downtown from May to October of this year.

But each of the three commissioners and other county officials said they have to consider the program’s implications before approving, much less funding, the project. And even if approved, there are still concerns over which soldiers should be honored.

Republican Commissioner Bruce Barclay suggested the county help find corporate sponsors for the flags, but he stopped short of saying it would pay for them.

The nine banners, according to Morrison, would cost between $100 and $150 each.

Republican Commissioner Gary Eichelberger and Democratic Commissioner Rick Rovegno said they need to consider how veterans of other wars will feel if they are not similarly honored.

“Who do we do this for and who don’t we?” Rovegno said, adding that if the county honors one group of veterans, it sets a precedent.



“What do we do if we have a war when a 1,000 people are killed? How do we tell the parents of those men and women that we’re not going to do something for them?”

Eichelberger said he and the other commissioners want to honor the soldiers, but they worried their commitment would be “open-ended.”

Morrison is part of American Gold Star Mothers, a national organization for mothers who have lost a son or daughter serving in the military.

Its Pennsylvania chapter is asking every county in the state to help honor the fallen men and women by funding the banner project, she said.

“They’re good for me and good for families,” Morrison said. “I think it is a way to pull our families struck by tragedy together.”

The banners would also help people not forget about the troops still fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, she said.

“They’re a reminder that we have troops there that need our support,” she added.

So Morrison said she was surprised the commissioners did not throw their support behind her proposal, although she understands they, too, have a job to do.

“You’re talking maybe $1,000,” she said. “I don’t think that’s a terrible amount.”

But even if approved, controversy might erupt over who the county would allow on the banners.



Morrison would like all nine soldiers from Cumberland County to have their own banner.

Some of the soldiers, however, although killed on duty during the War on Terror, were not killed by enemy combatants or in a war zone.

According to Neal Delisanti, director of Cumberland County’s Department of Veterans Affairs, that means they should not be honored by this project.

“In this element, the efforts should be to honor those who served their county in those two operations (Afghanistan and Iraq),” he said.

Delisanti understands his viewpoint might be unpopular with some, he said, but he’s unwavering.

“When we honor veterans, there is a difference between those that have been killed in action and those who weren’t,” he said.

Morrison disagrees — anyone who dies serving his or her country should be honored. They’re all part of the effort, she said.

One or two of the soldiers from Cumberland County might not fit Delisanti’s criteria, she said.

“I don’t think it’s too much to ask for one or two guys,” she said.

The impediments to her memorial proposal are frustrating, she said. Bucks County commissioners faced a similar decision in early November and decided to fully fund the banners, she said.



“I just wanted a simple process to honor our troops,” Morrison said, “and I really didn’t expect a lot of the hard questions. But I understand.”

The commissioners said they will gather more information about the banner program before making a decision.

Ellie