If you are a veteran from Mahoning Township, the Mahoning Township Lions Club is looking for you.

As part of the project to move the Mahoning Valley Honor Roll Monument, the club is seeking the names of veterans to be included on the monument."We anticipate the project to be completed by next summer," said Roger Diehl, club member. "We are seeking names of any veterans who should be included, whether they are World War II or served during any other conflicts or are current military personnel."Diehl said those eligible are any persons male or female who served active duty during the Korean War, June 25, 1950 to July 31, 1955; Vietnam War, Feb. 28, 1961 to May 7, 1975; Lebanon conflict, Aug. 24, 1982 to July 31, 1984; Panama conflict, Dec. 20 1989 to Jan. 31, 1990; Persian Gulf War/Operation Desert Storm/Desert Shield, Aug. 2, 1990 to present; Operation Enduring Freedom, March 20, 2003 to present; and Operation Iraqi Freedom, March 20, 2003 to present.Diehl emphasized that any veteran who enlisted or was drafted into military service while living in Mahoning Township during any of these periods is encouraged to contact him at (570) 386-5413 or e-mail at

roger@ptd.net, or by mail to Robert J. Condly at 15 Laurel View Drive, Lehighton, PA 18235.Diehl also noted that any veteran who grew up outside of Mahoning Township, but has lived for at least 25 years in Mahoning Township, and meets the above criteria is also encouraged to provide the information to him as soon as possible so they can be included on the monument.Diehl said that the state Rep. Keith McCall provided a $6,000 grant to the Mahoning Township Lions Club and that the grant must be spent by summer or the funding will be lost. The monument has been moved from its former site on Mill Road, also State Route 902, because the location had limited access, had no off street parking, was not handicapped accessible and was on a busy highway. The new location is at the Chapel Grove Lions Pavilion/soccer field which offers easy access, plenty of off street parking and has enough room to hold memorial services. The monument is currently being stored at Walters Memorial, Summit Hill."We have set a deadline of Jan. 31, 2011 to collect names," said Diehl. He noted that the Mahoning Township Lions Club is working with Walters Memorial to have the stones engraved and to install the monument. Diehl said that any names collected up until Jan. 31 will be included on the memorial at no cost, but that after that date, there will be a cost associated to add any additional names so he stressed that it was very important for veterans to act as soon as possible. Also, after Jan. 31, names that are added will not be in alphabetical order.Diehl said that the five bases have already been constructed in anticipation of erecting the monument.The current large, vertical stone only lists some of the names of veterans from Mahoning Township who served in World War I, World War II, and the Vietnam War, but Diehl believes there are additional people who were missed.