Westley Elkins

Special to the Chronicle

Toni Milbourne

Chronicle Editor

Memorial Day was the day selected by the Pack Horse Ford Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution for an unveiling ceremony of a new plaque at the War Memorial Building.

The dedication opened with a presentation of the American flag and the West Virginia state flag by the Jefferson County High School USAF JROTC.

Speaking at the dedication were Mark Shields, president of the Shepherdstown Community Club, Barbara Frankenberry, state regent of the WVDAR and a letter from West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin was read.

Frankenberry commented on the differences between Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day. Memorial Day is to honor those who lost their lives serving the country while Veteran’s Day honors all veterans, she explained.

“The plaque dedicatd today is for soldiers from the Shepherdstown area who served in the American Revolution,” she said.

John Stealey,?III, PH.D, spoke about these local soldiers as well as about soldiers in Brooklyn, New York. He explained that soldiers who served in the Revolutionary War were not full time soldiers, but those who served intermittently.

His talk focused on prison ships in New York Harbor where many soldiers were taken, including soldiers from the Shepherdstown area.

“The dedication today is not just about Shepherdstown veterans, but all veterans,” said Mike Galloway, a reenactor from the George Tyler Moore Center for the Study of the Civil War, who was dressed in a World War I era Marines winter uniform. Other reenactors wore uniforms from the American Revolution and both sides of the American Civil War.

“Everyone’s been touched by some war in America’s history, even all the way back to the Revolution. It is important to remember that, Galloway said.”

After the conclusion of the program inside the War Memorial Building, the dedication moved outside to unveil the new plaque. Cadets Ryan Barz and Zach Knott, members of the Jefferson County High School USAF JROTC played ‘Taps’ before the plaque was unveiled and wreath was placed by the reenactors from the George Tyler Moore Center.

The new plaque is located on the side of the War Memorial Building facing the public library.