Callery Borough veterans memorial receives dedication
CALLERY — A yearslong process of establishing a veterans memorial finally culminated in its dedication Sunday, May 18.
Residents of the borough, alongside members of the Butler County Veterans of Foreign Wars and Callery Volunteer Fire Department, were in attendance. After a prayer, taps was played and a three-volley gun salute was given.
“It is the time to set apart a particular place in honor and to memorialize those veterans who have served our country in war and in times of peace, and our residents who have served and were a vital part of this community,” Mayor Allan Wirtz said. “There is a closeness we can feel at this sacred place.”
The memorial displays a plaque reading “In memory of those who served our country in foreign wars.” It was owned by the fire department, but was given to the borough, inspiring council members to construct the memorial as a new home for it.
Councilwoman Crystal Huffman said finally being able to dedicate the memorial was a relief. The most recent date set for the dedication, in November 2024, was canceled due to inclement weather.
“It’s been a lot of work, (Councilman) John Reed and I went through a lot of struggles to get things accomplished here. It was also a lot of time reaching out to families that haven’t been here in a long time,” Huffman said.
The bricks on the ground of the memorial have dedications to Callery veterans on them. They were previously sold to the public for $25 donations to the monument’s construction.
“We’re still going to continue to sell until all of the bricks are full,” Huffman said. “Every five years we will do another sale, probably another three-month sale, until the bricks are full.”
In addition to the bricks, Huffman said there is still a plaque on the way that will commemorate the top contributors to the monument. She said she is happy she was able to enshrine the stories of Callery veterans into the memorial.
“I can come here when I’m 80 and sit down and I’ll have to use my brain, but I’ll be able to say ‘oh yeah, I remember that person,’” Huffman said. “I don’t have to trust myself to remember everyone. I can sit and look at their names and remember their stories.”
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Attendees gather to dedicate Callery's veterans memorial along Railroad Street on Sunday, May 18, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Taps and a gun salute are carried out during the dedication of Callery's veterans memorial along Railroad Street on Sunday, May 18, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Taps and a gun salute are carried out during the dedication of Callery's veterans memorial along Railroad Street on Sunday, May 18, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Taps and a gun salute are carried out during the dedication of Callery's veterans memorial along Railroad Street on Sunday, May 18, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Taps and a gun salute are carried out during the dedication of Callery's veterans memorial along Railroad Street on Sunday, May 18, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Attendees gather to dedicate Callery's veterans memorial along Railroad Street on Sunday, May 18, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Taps and a gun salute are carried out during the dedication of Callery's veterans memorial along Railroad Street on Sunday, May 18, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Crystal Huffman wraps up the dedication of Callery's veterans memorial along Railroad Street on Sunday, May 18, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Taps and a gun salute are carried out during the dedication of Callery's veterans memorial along Railroad Street on Sunday, May 18, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
