SCRANTON, Pa. -- Dozens were on hand in the sunshine for a flag-raising ceremony at a new veterans memorial in Scranton.
The words of "The Star-Spangled Banner" brought tears to the eyes of veterans at the ceremony outside Scranton High School on Sunday. This day is months in the making.
"We always wondered why we came home and so many didn't. When we come home, we have to keep their name and their memory on forever," said James Kuchwara, VFW Post 25 commander.
In the shadows of the high school, a flag-raising ceremony marked the near completion of this memorial at Scranton Veterans Memorial Park.
"There are many memorials in the city that have been done over the years, and they're all beautiful. We love them. As veterans, we love the memorials, but there are hundreds of veterans who have not been named on memorials in this city. This is going to take care of that," said Patrick Ahern, chairman of the veterans committee.
Within the next year and through donations, the plan is to build this memorial with the names of nearly 1,000 veterans from Scranton who were killed in action or died while serving during a time of war.
The Scranton School District is also celebrating this day. It will use this park as a space to instill educational values.
"Not only do we want to honor those who gave their lives for our country, but also, we want our students to be aware of their sacrifice so that the students can enjoy the freedoms that they have. Scranton Superintendent Alexis Kirijan said. "We will take advantage of this and use it as an outdoor classroom."
When complete, the monument will read: "Those who gave their all, forever remembered."