There’s something special about Joe’s Salla’s patriotic park.

The park is a festive oasis he created along the roadside at his Owl Creek Valley home, 2 miles east of Route 309.

At that site, Salla assembled a salute to America beneath a cluster of mature evergreens. He used sculptures, flags, bunting and décor to pay tribute to the armed forces and showcase patriotism that runs through his veins.

The elements of his display are familiar to all Americans. But they’re also a special part of Salla’s life.

His work reflects meaningful experiences of a hometown boy, the product of wholesome, solid values gleaned from life in small-town America.

Salla, 66, is a proud Marine Corps Vietnam veteran, a special part of his past and a driving force to inspire him to honor Memorial Day with an idyllic vista running 170 feet of his Owl Creek Road property.

Resembling a town park, the site is anchored by a rustic gazebo, fountain, wooden bridges and an elaborate stone walkway.

“The walkway was my mother’s project,” says Salla. His mother, Agnes Versailles, now 86, enjoys the fruits of their labor, as do the many drivers passing by on a busy roadway connecting Tamaqua to Summit Hill and Jim Thorpe.

It’s hard to miss the long row of American flags that line the property.

“The cars slow down and some pull over,” says Salla, who spent weeks putting the project together.

It’s something he’s been doing for many years, he says, although he expanded the display about three years ago when Tamaqua sponsored a patriotic home decorating contest.

Homegrown

Salla grew up in Tamaqua. Standing 6-foot-4, he played football for Tamaqua High School until fate ended his season.

“I was a tackle,” he says. “But I got injured in a game against Mount Carmel and that was it.”

Still, he held firm to his goals.

“I wanted to go into the service in high school.”

Luckily, his injury didn’t prevent him from doing just that. He enlisted in the Marines, serving from 1974-78, deployed for a time in Okinawa.

“I think about it. I should have never gotten out. I should’ve stayed in for 20 years. I made sergeant in three years.”

He eventually earned a college degree and spent more than three decades in information technology, immersed in the corporate world and later designing websites.

These days, he enjoys the peaceful surrounds of bucolic Owl Creek Valley. It’s a serene place to spend retirement and recall fond memories of childhood in Tamaqua with its popular 1960s hangouts.

“It was great in town. We had the Palma, the Napoli and Genetti’s parking lot.” He has fond memories of formative years and friendships that have lasted a lifetime.

Personal touch

Salla spends hours maintaining the grounds at his homestead and adding personal touches to his seasonal displays.

“The cannon was a Christmas gift when I was 8 or 9 years old,” he says, pointing to a centerpiece in a scene that honors the U.S. armed forces.

Many elements in his Memorial Day display are a tribute to his family. For instance, his grandfather, Jacob Zeart of Owl Creek, served in the Army in World War I.

Then there was his uncle, Edgar Robbins, also in the Army and with quite a story.

“He was a prisoner of war in World War II,” says Salla. There also was Dave Salla, a 92-year-old uncle who served in the Marine Corps, as did a few cousins.

Salla is proud of all of the branches of military service and makes sure they’re represented.

“I even looked for a Space Force flag but didn’t get one yet.”

He says he’s pleased when others admire the patriotic display.

“I’ll keep it up until just after Memorial Day. But the flags will stay up until Flag Day.”

Last Sunday, he says, a group of bikers rode by and paid tribute.

“They said God bless America and they saluted. That was nice.”

It seems everyone is inspired by Salla’s patriotic park.

At a time when there’s so much division, Salla’s sense of patriotism is a health tonic for the spirit.

And that’s part of his mission at Memorial Day.

If the display unites folks in a moment of pause, a reason to feel proud and thankful, then it was all worthwhile.