AVOCA, Pa. — Vietnam War Veteran Joseph Hannon was inspired when he visited the National Vietnam Memorial in Washington DC.
"After I went to the wall, it's the healing wall, and I started to heal then. And it took me two years to get this far," said Joseph Hannon, Vietnam Veteran.
He and fellow vets from his hometown of Avoca teamed up over those two years gathering support for a memorial wall of their own.
It bears two names, Daniel Romanko and Michael Clifford. They both were killed in Vietnam when they were only teenagers.
Howard Doran grew up with Clifford.
"I knew him very well when he was a boy, and I knew the family very well. We thought it was very long overdue to honor these Vietnam veterans who were killed in Vietnam," said Howard Doran, U.S. Navy Veteran.
The two young men were honored with a dedication outside Avoca Borough Hall, where their names are now etched in stone. Both of the boys' families made it to the ceremony.
"I can rest at ease now that my brother got the recognition, and Mr. Clifford got the recognition that he deserves. It's just heartwarming," said Rick Romanko, Daniel Romanko's brother.
"The only place I see the monument is I go to the gravesite over at St. Mary's Cemetery or see his name on the wall in DC. This is a special meaningful moment that I'll never forget," said Patrick Clifford, Michael Clifford's brother.
The men want to make sure these boys are never forgotten in their hometown.
"Everybody has stepped in and gone beyond. So, I just want to thank everybody that got involved with this. Goes to show you what a small town can do," said Hannon.
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