The Lehighton United Veterans Organization on Saturday rededicated the Gnaden Huetten Memorial Hospital memorial plaque in the Lehighton Veterans Memorial Park.

The memorial was originally located on Gnaden Huetten Memorial Hospital as a living memorial to the service members of Carbon County who gave their lives in defense of our country in World War II.

Jacob “Jake” Shellhammer of Boy Scout Troop No. 187, Lehighton, relocated the plaque for his Eagle Scout project.

The program began with a welcome from Kevin “Spike” Long, commander, Lehighton UVO, who said, “It will allow us to remember all those who gave their tomorrows so we could have our todays.”

Local historian Ron Rabenold described the history of the plaque. “War is spawned from hatred, the corruption of values and greed. War sends the young to fight with valor, devotion and heroism. War proves nothing is forever, nothing is perfect. War is mankind’s most transformative event. War is a teacher. War is a test. War is cruel. War takes both the willing and the unwilling, the strong and the weak. War ruins. Life places us on a journey to take in beauty, War is man’s animation of hell.”

Rabenold continued, “Michael Wargo’s shadow lurks there to remind us that war can absolutely ruin the strong and the willing. Wargo survived the war, to be killed by his survivor’s guilt here at home.”

He discussed Wilbur Warner and George Harmon.

Rabenold said, “War awakened a force in Wilbur Warner.”

Born in 1899, Warner served in World War II and became the borough’s most prolific citizen of record. He formed the first Last Man’s Club, was postmaster, state and local Elks exalted ruler, Cancer Crusader chair, worked to gain the funding for the construction of Lehigh Fire Co. #1, established Lehighton’s Memorial Library, and spearheaded the construction of the National Guard Armory in Lehighton.

“And he is also the reason we are gathered here today,” Rabenold said.

Rabenold said Warner spearheaded the construction of Lehighton’s first hospital, fulfilling James Blakeslee’s vision. He raised $750,000 over 70 years ago, including $5,000 from the Legion, and $100,000 from Sebastion S. Kresge of Kmart Corp.

“Wilbur died 50 years ago yet we still feel him today, and I can still hear his voice in the words inscribed on this marker,” he said.

Rabenold then quoted: “Soon the sentiment crystallized in favor of building a memorial hospital as a lasting, living, serving tribute. Let present and future generations of Carbon County citizens ask themselves, as they gaze upon this structure, “Are we worth dying for?”

“I had to read that several times until I could hear him, until I weighed those words and measured just what Wilbur meant. “Are we worth dying for?”

Rabenold said engraved are the names of almost all who died from Carbon County, listed by town.

“My own uncle name’s appears here: Ezra Kreiss, sunk by a German S-boat in the English Channel on a dry run toward Normandy weeks before D-day,” he said.

George “Gene” Semanoff and Willard Reabold are listed here too, Rabenold said. Gene Willard Semanoff was named for them, and is the Vietnam vet son of Joe Semanoff. Gene lived most of his adult life next to Gnaden Huetten Hospital, and all three of his children served: Jack served in the Army, and so too did Bronze Star Lt. Col. Pete Semanoff, and career Army physician, West Point graduate Col. Alison Semanoff.

Rabenold said, “George Harmon was the only African American of our WWI Last Man’s Club. George was just a poor shoemaker. Yet he too became a force like Wilbur Warner, and spearheaded efforts alongside him.

“He was Mr. Everything to Lehighton, too. He was an active Legionnaire, a firefighter, coached youth baseball, and not only was Warner’s right hand man in establishing the hospital, he served in many volunteer capacities there as well. When South First Street burned in December 1955, he stayed up all night working the dispatch radio coordinating emergency services. In the 1955 flood of Weissport, he secured donations and worked around the clock making 100 pairs of shoes, for free to help those victims who lost everything.”

Rabenold said George “gave in World War I, gave to his town, and gave to his dying day. Upon his death, he donated his body to furthering science, giving himself up to be used as a cadaver for medical students at Jefferson Medical School of Philadelphia.”

Lehighton Borough Mayor Ryan Saunders then gave opening remarks.