They cleaned up the grounds to make way for their Vietnam Memorial Stone Wings Dedication set to be held later this month.

In preparation for the important occasion, about a dozen veterans and volunteers gathered Wednesday morning at the Vietnam Memorial in the Palmerton Borough Park, said Steve Vlossak, of the Palmerton United Veterans Organization.

“It’s to clean up the property making it as nice as we can to honor all veterans, and especially prepared it for our ceremony to honor the 18 who lost their lives in the Vietnam War,” Vlossak said.

Vlossak said the group began at around 8 a.m. and worked several hours performing a variety of tasks such as power washing, raking, trimming, pulling weeds and leaf blowing.

A dedication of stone wings that will be placed by the Vietnam Memorial in Palmerton to honor those who lost their lives in the Vietnam War will be held at 6:15 p.m. July 20 in the borough park.

The Palmerton United Veteran’s Organization, comprised of American Legion Post 269 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7134, is in charge of the project.

Vlossak said the wings are engraved with the names of the 18 servicemen from Carbon County who lost their lives in the war.

They include: David R. Bartholomew, Neal G. Bollinger, Charles R. Jones, Samuel O’Donnel, George M. Bevich Jr., Paul C. Hunter, Merlin C. Hollenbach, Michael P. Pavlocak Jr., Larry L. Neff, William C. Whitehead Jr., John R. Early, Anthony R. Giannangeli, Dennis R. Andrew, Leon D. Eckhart, Clyde R. Houser Jr., Ronald S. Christman, Clifford I. Sell, and Edward N. Beers.

Vlossak said they respectfully request all families and relatives of those servicemen to attend and contact him, so that they can have special seating prepared.

“We heard from a lot of families,” he said. “Anyone who hasn’t should get in touch with me.”

Vlossak said they may reach him at vlossaklaw@hotmail.com, Steve Vlossak Sr., P.O. Box 224, Palmerton, PA 18071, or by calling 610-826-7070, or 610-704-8086.

He said the project has been about one-and-a-half-years in the making, and added that the foundation was put in last fall and was done by Tom and Clark Wentz.

Vlossak said the wings are being engraved by Walters Monument Co. in Summit Hill, and will be an addition to the veterans memorial they put up for Vietnam veterans, as well as the Moving Wall.

In July 2018, the Palmerton United Veterans Organization dedicated the monument recognizing The Moving Wall’s time in the borough park.

The Wall, a half-sized replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., lists the names of over 58,000 servicemen and women who lost their lives in the war.

From July 21 to 26, 2016, about 20,000 people visited Palmerton Borough Park to observe the Wall for which a group of volunteers served to pay homage to those whose lives were lost be reading each and every name on the monument.

The stone monument, crafted by Walters Monument Co., features a highly detailed photograph of the Moving Wall in the park with an inscription that includes the date and pivotal welcome home message. The stone’s base was donated and installed by Todd Wentz.