Crowds weather rain for Veterans Day tribute at National Cemetery of the Alleghenies
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Yvonne Cywinski embraces the tombstone of her husband, Ronald Cywinski, an Air Force Vietnam veteran who passed in July of this year. Veterans Day was the first Veterans Day visit to the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies for Cywinski and her son, Matthew, right, both of Bethel Park.
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Sage and Nick Dignan, of Robinson Township, visit Sage’s father figure following the Veterans Day ceremony at the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies Friday morning. Sage Dignan said she and her husband have attended the event annually for 11 years, since her father figure’s death in 2011.
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
The Canon-McMillan High School band, directed by Marc Falvo, launches into a spirited performance Friday as part of the Veterans Day ceremony at the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies.
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Edward Hajduk, director of the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies, was pleased with Friday’s turnout to the annual Veterans Day ceremony, which has been held rain or shine since 2006. The cemetery opened in 2005, and Hajduk said it is an honor to work there.
Members of the U.S. Navy Sea Cadettes Corps, the Army Junior ROTC and U.S. Civil Air Patrol Golden Triangle Composite Squadron open the Veterans Day ceremony Friday at the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies.
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
As the Canon-McMillan High School choir sings, members of the U.S. Navy Sea Cadettes Corps, the Army Junior ROTC and U.S. Civil Air Patrol Golden Triangle Composite Squadron stand at attention, signaling the start of the Veterans Day ceremony at the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies.
Edward Hajduk, director of the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies, delivers opening remarks Friday morning as part of the annual Veterans Day ceremony.
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Commander Chris Richardson, keynote speaker for the Veterans Day ceremony at the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies, addresses the crowd. Richardson defined Veterans Day and thanked all veterans in attendance and those who have passed for their service.
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Terence Moore, of Bethel Park, absorbs the words of keynote speaker Cmdr. Craig Richardson Friday during the Veterans Day ceremony. Moore is a Marine veteran who was proud to be in attendance at the event.
Isaac Bloch, 7, of Maryland, dances to South Hills Keystone Chorus during the Veterans Day ceremony. Bloch and his sisters, Molly, 11, and Gemma, 3, attended the event Friday with their parents Mary and Justin, ahead of his grandfather's interment in the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies.
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Justin Granite, an Air Force veteran and City of Pittsburgh firefighter, visits graves of friends who are buried in the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies on Veterans Day. Granite arrived early, not realizing there is an annual ceremony, and was glad to have been in attendance.
Following the Veterans Day ceremony, attendees pay their respects at the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies.
The National Cemetery of the Alleghenies was a sea of umbrellas Friday morning as people, many dressed in hats or shirts depicting their military branch, gathered under rainy skies for the annual Veterans Day ceremony.
“In this rain, we could have easily said it’s canceled. But no, we’re going to honor the veterans,” said Edward A. Hajduk, retired Navy and director of the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies. “The people that came out, especially the veterans, they probably served in this type of weather, maybe even worse than this type of weather. Our expectations were that it would still go on, that people would still come out and honor our veterans.”
People did come, people of all ages from Southwestern Pennsylvania and beyond.
“There’s a lot of people,” marveled Heather Petruskie, of Cecil. “My dad was in the Army and my father-in-law was in the Navy. Very proud veterans. My dad swore by the VA Hospital, would not go anywhere else.”
This year’s ceremony was Petruskie’s first, and she said the event was nice and respectful. Following the ceremony, Petruskie spent time at the graves of her father, William Cochran, and father-in-law, Howard Petruskie.
“It’s very hard for me this year because my father passed away in November and my father-in-law passed in January. Usually we’re spending the day with them,” she said, adding, “We still are, in some ways.”
Sage and Nick Dignan, of Robinson, attend the ceremony annually and afterward pay respects to Sage’s father figure, who passed away on Veterans Day 11 years ago.
“It’s just a way to honor him. He was such a veteran. Just the fact that he passed away on Veterans Day made a lot of sense,” said Dignan. “They had to fight a little bit to get him in here, because he was a Merchant Marine. He was World War II. Merchant Marines, they finally got recognized as one of the branches. When he passed away, they fought tooth and nail. It was a big honor that they allowed him to be buried here.”
The crowd perched on wet folding chairs and stood on the grass, listening intently as Hadjuk welcomed visitors to the ceremony and as speakers, including U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb, state Rep. Jason Ortitay and Sen. Camera Bartolotta spoke about what Veterans Day means to them.
Lamb, who called on the younger generation to service, recalled a story told to him when he first arrived on Capitol Hill, of a veteran who drove halfway across the country to witness the World War II Memorial construction in Washington, D.C.
One night, Lamb said, the veteran knocked on the construction manager’s door.
“All the man did was take off a pair of dog tags he had been wearing and handed them to (the construction manager) and said, ‘I wore these all through World War II and survived. I know you’re going to put up those big stone pillars tomorrow. I want you to take these and throw them down there, underneath, so that I know they’re going to be there forever in memory of the people who didn’t make it home like I did,'” Lamb said. “Veterans remain so important in our culture today. Veterans are still out there doing the right thing and not asking for much from anybody.”
Bartolotta echoed Lamb, noting the selflessness of veterans.
“That’s what veterans do: They show up, they coach, they mentor, they raise money for nonprofits. They give, they give, they give,” she said. “It truly is a life of service.”
Ortitay acknowledged the role veterans have played in shaping our country.
“By undertaking this duty, our veterans have taken the idea of a free nation and turned it into a reality, one of which we should never take for granted,” Ortitay said.
Guest speaker Cmdr. Craig Richardson, a decorated Navy veteran whose awards include the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (five awards), the Joint Achievement Medal (three awards), and the Navy and Marine Corp Achievement Medal (three awards), took to the podium and quoted part of the oath every military recruit takes upon entering the service.
“There have been a few changes over the years, but since 1790, one thing has remained the same: These men and women swore to support and defend a written document. Not a king, not a leader, not even the country itself, but a set of laws written in 1789,” said Richardson, who serves as commanding officer of the Navy Reserve Center Pittsburgh.
“Every one of these veterans has taken part in shaping the United States. The men and women buried here remind us of the sacrifice, the dedication and the loyalty they served the United States. They chose to serve, some of them through volunteering, some of them through the draft. At the end of the day, every one had a choice. They chose to serve, and they did so honorably,” he said. “They gave up certain rights and certain freedoms in order to protect those same rights and freedoms that are America. We gather today to pay tribute to the ones who chose to serve.”
Richardson mentioned Fred Rogers, and reminded those gathered of the time Mr. Rogers asked his audience to take 10 seconds and think of someone who had made an impact on their lives. The commander made the same request of Friday’s audience.
“I liked that idea about remembering someone who made a difference,” said Hajduk. “I remembered my dad, because my dad was a veteran, and he served during the war. During those 10 seconds I was thinking back to my dad, when he served.”
Following Richardson’s speech, the Canon-McMillan High School band performed a spirited patriotic tune, and the South Hills Keystone Chorus launched into a small concert, ending with a medley of military hymns.
“As an educator, I feel that it is imperative for our students to be taught about the meaning of Veterans Day and give the children of Canon-McMillan an opportunity to share their gratitude for the men and women who have protected their freedoms,” Deanna Grandstaff, band teacher, said in an email.
Terence Moore, a Marine from Bethel Park, followed the throngs of people from the grassy ceremony area to the cemetery’s winding roads.
“This is America,” he said, gesturing proudly.