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Veterans Caring for Their Bridge

STROUDSBURG — A heavily traveled bridge in the Poconos got a little tender loving care on Thursday. Some veterans were busy giving back to the community b...

STROUDSBURG -- A heavily traveled bridge in the Poconos got a little tender loving care on Thursday.

Some veterans were busy giving back to the community by beautifying a structure dedicated to them.

The bridge receiving that T.L.C. is the Veteran`s Memorial Bridge.

It`s located down Main Street and connects Stroudsburg to East Stroudsburg.

All day, volunteers and veterans scrubbed and painted to make the bridge stand out while giving back to their community.

A group of volunteers is busy cleaning up a heavily traveled bridge in Stroudsburg which is showing its age after more than 50 years of wear and tear armed with wire brushes in hand, the team targeted the rust covered railings and went to work.

“Actually what we're doing is knocking some of the rust off of it, and then giving it a fresh coat of paint,” said Peter Pesch of Canadensis.

Pesch is an army veteran. Cleaning up this bridge means a little more to him than some in his group mainly because this bridge honors all local veterans.

It's the Veterans Memorial Bridge. Pesch said it's only right to make sure this bridge gets the tender loving care it deserves.

“It's just a small way of giving back, it's another way to remember people. These are the folks who did a lot for us and made the country strong,” said Pesch.

Mark Baylis is one of the organizers of the project. He is also a veteran and director of the Valor Clinic Foundation, an organization to help homeless veterans get housing.

Baylis thought having veterans help to beautify the bridge is the best way to give back.

“PennDOT has plenty to do with the bridges as everyone well knows and hasn't had the chance to get to this one. We were talking with the Monroe County Veterans Council, and they were interested in restoring it,” said Mark Baylis, Valor Clinic Foundation.

One of the organizers of the project said another main reason to beautify the Veteran's Memorial Bridge is to get it ready for this year's Veteran's Day parade, which will be kicking off sometime in November for the first time in nearly 20 years.

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