Gold Star families honored with special dedication in Somerset

STOYSTOWN, Pa. (WTAJ) — Gold Star families live with the daily pain of the sacrifice that their loved ones made in service of the country.

In honor of them, a Gold Star Memorial Marker was unveiled and dedicated at Patriot Park in Stoystown, the first one in the state of Pennsylvania.

“The Gold Star Memorial marker that is dedicated to the millions of families who have lost loved ones throughout the course of the armed conflict for the United States since World War One. And to the present,” Randy Musser, President of the Patriot Park Foundation said.

Patriot Park is within the legislative boundary of the Flight 93 National Memorial. The marker sits close to the Field of Heroes Flag Plaza in the park, where more than 7,000 flags are planted, each one for a fallen member and a family who mourns.

“My father was in the Navy. My brother was in the Navy and the Army and my son was in the Air Force. So I understand what it’s like to have a person in the armed forces. The stress that you can feel when they are there. And I can’t imagine what it would be like to lose somebody,” Leeanna Ryba, President of the Garden Club of Pennsylvania said.

The marker is sponsored by the Patriot Park Foundation in cooperation with the Somerset Garden Club and the Garden Club Federation of Pennsylvania . The Garden Club said they want this dedication to inspire other clubs to create something in their own community too.

“There are going to be people in this state that want to do it. There are going to be people here that visit 9/11 come over here that are going to be from anywhere in the country. People visit the 9/11 site all the time. And also that the families feel a sense of respect and valued for what they’ve gone through,” Karen Faust, Blue and Gold Star Chair for the Garden Club Federation said.

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Patriot Park will continue to honor the fallen even if they’re not from Pennsylvania. Ten flags were recently added to the Field of Heroes to remember those who were killed in action in the last year.

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