For the past three years, Jack Ghelarducci has been delivering commemorative banners to local military veterans and their families as part of the Bridgeville Parking Authority’s troop banner program (those are the same banners that hang from borough lightposts throughout the summer).
When it was time for Jack—son of Jeff and Angela Ghelarducci—to choose an Eagle Scout project, the 17-year-old decided to continue honoring veterans by repairing parts of the Bridgeville War Memorial on Washington Avenue and installing a soldier silhouette commemorating those who served.
The silhouette will be unveiled during a brief ceremony at the war memorial this Saturday, Nov. 12, at 10:30 a.m. The public is invited.
“I wanted to do something that would help us remember the heroes who have gone to war,” Jack said.
The Eagle Scout, who hopes to become a bricklayer after he graduates from Chartiers Valley, replaced a damaged concrete slab at the memorial and recruited fellow Scouts to help clean the bronze plaques bearing the names of local veterans. He also brought in a company to clean the monument’s granite surface.
As part of Saturday’s program, Jack will present banners to the families of three local veterans who were killed in action:
- Navy Seaman 2nd Class Alexander Asti (WWII)
- Army Air Corp 1st Lt. David Wayne Carson (WWII)
- Army 2nd Lt Robert Norman Shipe (Korea)
The Bridgeville Parking Authority helped organize the event. It was parking authority member Rich McElhoes who got Jack involved with the banner program a few years ago.