Bethel Park makes Memorial Day meaningful
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Retired Lt. Col. Thomas P. Gleason and Mayor Jack T. Allen prepare to place a wreath at one of the monuments honoring Bethel Park military personnel who sacrificed their lives for the country during the annual Memorial Day ceremony.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Robert McTiernan stands at attention during a touching moment during the Bethel Park Memorial Day ceremony.
Eleanor Bailey/ The Almanac
Retired Sgt. Robert Hruby searches for names of family and friends on the monuments dedicated to Bethel Park servicemen and women who sacrificed their lives for the country during a Memorial Day ceremony.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
John Carberry from the Bethel Park Community Foundation passes out treats to Cyrus Cready, 5, and his brother, August, 3, during the annual Memorial Day parade.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Bethel Park majorettes lead the way down Brightwood Avenue as part of the annual Memorial Day parade.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Veterans from all branches of the United States military march in the Bethel Park Memorial Day parade.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Bethel Park band members play for the crowd during the annual Memorial Day parade.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Holli Lisak greets the crowd along the parade route during Bethel Park Memorial Day activities.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Marian Gregg from the Bethel Park Democrats waves to crowd along the parade route.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Fire trucks and ambulance units were among the featured units at the Bethel Park Memorial Day parade.
For 5-year-old Cyrus Cready and his 3-year-old brother, August, Memorial Day is akin to Halloween.
As he waited for the parade to pass along Brightwood Road in Bethel Park, Cyrus waited to fill a red skull-and- bones-printed cloth bag with treats.
“Throwing out candy,” he said, is the best part of the parade.
Veterans of the country’s many wars know better the significance of the holiday. Before many of them marched, they had attended the annual Memorial Day ceremony at the Bethel Park Veterans’ Park prior to when the crowds gathered along the parade route.
Bethel Park Mayor Jack T. Allen and the Rev. Jack Puskar delivered the opening remarks and prayer while the high school’s Top 21 Chorus sang the national anthem and “America the Beautiful.”
Retired Lt. Col. Thomas P. Gleason delivered remarks before the names of Bethel Park’s fallen heroes from the American Revolution through today’s conflicts were read and a wreath was placed at the base of one of the towering monuments in the memorial area, located in the open space in front of the community library.
The ceremony moved Robert McTiernan. As the wreath was being placed and the flags lowered, he rose to his feet even before the bugler sounded the first notes of “Taps.”
“It is a solemn moment that should be recognized,” McTiernan said.
McTiernan, who is not a veteran, added that Gleason summed up the significance of the day.
“This is the only holiday dedicated to our fallen who have done so much to protect our constitutional freedoms and our republic,” he said.
McTiernan said he was encouraged to see many young people in the audience.
“They understand the meaning of this very special and important day,” he said.
The significance of the day was not lost on Robert Hruby. A retired sergeant, he served in Vietnam.
“I believed in serving my county and that is why I went,” he said. “Even though there was a lot of social unrest back then, you had to do what you believed in.”
At 74, Hruby said he still enjoys being a soldier. He had two uncles, Mike and Jim Gregg, that were veterans along with two cousins.
Though he now resides in North Strabane, Hruby was born and raised in Bethel Park. He is a 1966 Bethel Park High School School graduate
“Bethel Park is a special place,” he said.
“Veterans are very sacred to me,” he added.
Hruby said that six of his Army buddies were supposed to attend the Memorial Day ceremony.
“I was the only one that showed up. I wanted to make sure I was here in uniform and remembered. It’s a significant day.”
Bill Haberthur from the Bethel Park Historical Society recognized Civil War veteran Spencer Watson during the community’s annual Memorial Day ceremony.
Watson was a slave on the McMaster Farm, which is now part of South Park where the community house is located. Born in November of 1846, he died on May 21, 1920 and is buried the Bethel Park cemetery located off Bethel Church and Church Roads.
Watson served as a private in Company G of the fifth regiment in U.S. Colored Heavy Artillery.
Nearly 180,000 free Black men and escaped slaves served in Union Army during the Civil War
At first Blacks were denied the right to fight. Even after they entered the Union ranks the soldiers continued to struggle for equal treatment. They were placed in racially segregated units of the artillery, infantry and calvary regiments. These troops were almost always led by white officers, said Haberthur.
Following the war, Mr. Watson worked as a day laborer. Until his death, he resided in Snowden Township.