Path to Arlington
PROSPECT — A conversation between her World War II veteran uncles a decade ago launched a series of events that led Judy Raisley of Prospect and her grandsons to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier March 23.
Raisley, 73, the owner of the Raisley Funeral Home, and her grandsons — Chase Gill, Nate Gill and Andrew Foley — participated in a wreath-laying ceremony in Arlington National Cemetery, the sprawling 624-acre military cemetery in Virginia across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.
“This all came about because I am a member of the Portersville Prospect Rotary Club,” said Raisley.
“I have two uncles still living who were in World War II. One is 96 and one is 98. One (Karl Herold) had been a Marine in the South Pacific. One (James Herold) was in the European Theater in the Air Force,” she said.
“I had them over for dinner years ago, and they started talking about their time in the war. I had never heard these stories before.
“They were joking with each other, 'You know the Marines won the war,'” she said. “I wish the day they did that here, I would have recorded it.”
She said the experience “set a light bulb off in my head.”
“I thought there had to be other vets locally with stories to tell,” Raisley said.
Raisley started a tradition at the Portersville Prospect Rotary Club to invite military veterans to dinner at the Portersville Presbyterian Church in November during the week of Veterans Day.
“As part of that dinner, each of them stand up and tell something about their military service,” she said.As the dinner tradition went on, more and more veterans were attending.“We encourage them to share their memories. Some were in the Seabees. They think they didn't do as much as some of the guys who fought,” she said.“Some felt they didn't contribute a lot, but just being in the war was a service to their country,” she said.Raisley said, “We started having speakers, not just the veterans.”One of the speakers two years ago was a Prospect native, James Angerett, who graduated from Slippery Rock University and served in the U.S. Air Force for four years.Angerett is a captain with the Fort Myer Fire Department, which covers the Fort Myer Army base, the Henderson Hall Marine Corps base and Arlington National Cemetery.“He was so glad the area recognized veterans and our club in particular,” said Raisley.Last year, Angerett told her that citizens could participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.Raisley said, “He set everything up. We didn't ask to go. I didn't know how people get signed up.”She said in January the cemetery contacted her with three dates available for her wreath-laying ceremony.Arlington public affairs officer Tim Lawson said selection for the ceremonies is based on the discretion of Arlington National Cemetery.The cemetery conducts between 27 and 30 funeral services each week day and between 6 and 8 services on Saturdays.Lawson said all wreath-laying ceremonies are scheduled based on time, location, appropriateness and availability.“Wreath-laying ceremonies happen frequently, up to 10 to 15 times a day,” said Lawson.Raisley said the ceremony takes place during the changing of the guard at the tomb. That change takes place every hour during the cooler months and every half hour during the warmer months.Raisley said she learned that she had been selected for the wreath ceremony to begin at 1:15 p.m. March 23.
She, her daughter, Keri Raisley, and Keri's two sons, Jim and Nate Gill, as well as James Angerett's mother, Pat, made the 4.5-hour drive down that morning.“We brought a wreath from Butler Florist. It took two of us to carry it,” she said.“I've honestly never made one for that particular ceremony before, so it was nice to be asked to do it,” said Butler Florist owner Ed Bloom who put the wreath together.“It was a fresh wreath of white hydrangeas, white oriental lilies, red carnations, Navy blue statice and white miniature carnations,” said Bloom.“It was an honor to do that. I thought it was pretty cool someone from Butler to go do that,” he added.“When we got there, the guide guard told us what was going to happen,” Raisley said.The guide took the wreath until the time came to place it in the holder.Raisley said she and her grandson, Chase, walked down steps toward the tomb, took the wreath to the stand, stepped back and stood while “Taps” was played.“It took two of us to carry the wreath to the stand,” said Raisley.“It was a very humbling experience to be there,” she said. “After, we visited the burial place of John F. Kennedy, with the eternal flame.”“It was a very humbling experience,” she said of the trip to Arlington. “These men here have just given so much to us in this country. Especially families that are still wondering where their loved ones are.”The trip to Arlington doesn't end Raisley's and the Rotary club's involvement with veterans.“We will be doing another dinner the week of Veterans Day in November,” she said. “We're getting more and more Vietnam veterans now.”
