Local veterans, community leaders, and elected officials recently received a special tour of the nation's capitol, a special thank-you from Palmerton native and Sgt. Maj. of the Army Daniel A. Dailey.

On June 6 - the 73rd anniversary of D-Day at Normandy - a group of 30 veterans escorted by Army Reserve Ambassador George H. Duell Jr. took a trip to Washington, D.C., at the invitation of Dailey."I was honored to have representatives of the Legion invited to Washington by Sgt. Maj. Dailey to tour Fort Myer, The Caisson, The Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers, The Pentagon, and to spend some time with him. As appreciative as we were of the Sgt. Major and all he does, he continues to thank the group from Palmerton for being active in the community and continuing to promote the veterans," American Legion Post 269 Commander Ed Moyer said.Veteran supporter and business owner Bernie Shea was thrilled to attend the tour and get an exclusive look at some important parts of the military district."It was a wonderful, wonderful experience. We were escorted through the whole base, and given private tours not available to the general public," Shea said. "We had military personnel escort us, and respond to any questions."Starting with a tour of the 3rd Infantry Regiment at Fort Myer, Virginia, the group got to see the caissons - wagons for holding ammunition - and horses that are used for funerals at Arlington National Cemetery. While the soldiers of the 3rd Infantry Regiment function primarily as the official ceremonial unit for the Military District of Washington, D.C., they are ready for service at any moment."Those on the tour were very much looking forward to the trip, and once we arrived, they were clearly impressed with what they saw, and the quality of the soldiers that they had an opportunity to meet. Many were unaware of what goes on in the Military District of Washington, and especially the missions of the 3rd Infantry Regiment, the Army's oldest regiment," Duell said.At Arlington, the tour group observed the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers, followed by a brief speech from some sentinels who had served as Honor Guards at the Tomb."It was a tremendous honor being able to attend. Talk about buck list stuff, this is one of them. The changing of the guard was extremely impressive," said Navy veteran Ed Solomon, who was born and raised in Jim Thorpe. "The discipline, the professionalism, the dedication, it was excellent."One of the highlights of the day was a behind-the-scenes tour of the Pentagon, along with a stop in Dailey's office for a talk on the history and evolution of the Pentagon.Rounding off the tour, the group came back to Fort Myer for refreshments at Dailey's residence."Since both the Sgt. Maj.and Mrs. Holly Dailey are both from Palmerton, it was a great opportunity to renew friendships and share local stories. Following this social period, the group returned to Palmerton filled with memories and better informed about the importance of our Army in our national defense," Duell said.When pressed for the most interesting part of the tour, Moyer struggled to pick a favorite event, but nonetheless reveled in every opportunity to learn more about the nation's rich military history in the company of a former Palmertonian."I gained so much information listening to the tour guides at Fort Myer describing their duties involving The Old Guard, providing burial details for our senior veterans as well as deceased presidents and dignitaries. Our tour of the Pentagon was also very informative. I mostly enjoyed our time with Sgt. Maj. Dailey in the Pentagon, and our social hour with him and his wife at their quarters. I was totally impressed with him talking of his duties and responsibilities and his interest in his soldiers," Moyer said.