Saturday turned out to be the perfect day to honor the men and women who served in the United States Navy, Coast Guard, Marines and wartime Merchant Marines.

Dozens of veterans, dignitaries and area residents gathered in Ludlow Park in Summit Hill for the unveiling of the new seaborne services memorial dedication. The plaque stands in the center of the park near the gazebo.Robert "Ski" Siesputowski of the Carbon County Navy Club spearheaded the memorial project. He welcomed everyone in attendance and said this was a dream of his that was finally coming true. Siesputowski is a Navy veteran.He thanked Summit Hill for allowing him to use Ludlow Park as the memorial site.Following the welcome, Summit Hill Post 316 chaplain Greg Miller provided the invocation.Scott Reinhart, commander of the Navy Club of Carbon County, again thanked everyone for attending."In an era when many people forget who served our country, and why they served our country, the Navy Club of the United States is dedicated to remembering our shipmates who served on the seas," he said."Today, we are dedicating this memorial to all the men and women who served in the seaborne services, whether in wartime or peacetime."He introduced the speakers for the event: Brad Hurley of state Sen. John Yudichak's office, state Rep. Jerry Knowles, Carbon County Veterans Affairs Director Henry Desrosiers, Past National Commandant of the Navy Club of the USA William Flail and Summit Hill Mayor Paul McArdle."The Navy has always been something that is near and dear to my heart," Hurley said, noting his father was in the Navy during the Vietnam War."Like Ski and Mr. Reinhart said, this took a lot of work to get here today, and it doesn't go unnoticed. It is appreciated and the county appreciates it, the state government appreciates it ... we love to see when our veterans are honored."On behalf of Sen. Yudichak's office, we really appreciate what the Navy Club has done for our area.""When we think about the day 9/11 there are two things that ring in my mind, and that is a day of awakening that we were vulnerable in our country," Knowles said."The second thing that I think of when I think back to 9/11, that was a day that I think we began to realize the importance of our military. We had kind of forgotten that exactly the sacrifices that were made by our military. That day really awakened us and reminded us of the sacrifices that these men and women make and have made serving in the military."Following the speeches, Angela Nardini sang "America the Beautiful" and William Diehm of Jim Thorpe played taps while the Panther Valley JROTC cadets raised the American flag.The group then moved to the center of the park where members of the Navy Club unveiled the new plaque."This memorial will stand as a testament to the brave men and women who chose to leave the safety and security of dry land and protect us while serving at sea," Reinhart said. "May God bless them all for their service."For more photos, go to

www.tnonline.com.