Traveling Tomb of Unknown Soldier on display at Farm Show
CONNOQUENESSING TWP — Everyone who reveres the service of military men and women who paid the ultimate price for the liberty enjoyed by Americans can visit a very special addition to the Butler Farm Show until Wednesday.
About 65 motorcycles escorted the Traveling Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from Barkeyville, Pa., to the farm show grounds on Monday morning.
The exact replica of the tomb in Arlington National Cemetery in Fort Myer, Va., was honored by wreath-layings at a short but poignant ceremony at 10 a.m. Monday.
Young and old, male and female, dabbed at their eyes as two trumpeters from Honor Flight Pittsburgh, the organization that brought the Traveling Tomb to the farm show, played taps in an echoing fashion.
One speaker at the ceremony was Dennis McMahon, who works at Iron Mountain in Boyers.
McMahon served as a Sentinel guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from January 1987 to July 1988.
He appreciated the Traveling Tomb's placement at the farm show, especially for people who have never seen the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery.
“This is your chance to see what it looks like,” McMahon said. “It's a beautiful replica.”
He discussed the process of serving as a Tomb Guard, and the significance of the 21 steps taken by guards as they honor and protect the remains of the soldiers “known but to God.”“We had to do 21 push-ups every time we made a mistake during practice,” McMahon recalled. “I did thousands of them.”He said the tomb is guarded 24 hours per day, seven days per week, in almost all weather.“A guard's job is to make sure nobody disrespects the tomb,” McMahon said.He said guards must exhibit perfection during their one-hour shift in the winter or half-hour shift in the summer.“Perfection not for the guards or public, but perfection for the unknown because anything else would be disrespectful,” McMahon said.McMahon, who retired from the Army in 2004 after stints in Desert Shield and Desert Storm, is proud to be the holder of badge number 320 in the Old Guard Sentinels as a protector of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.“Guarding the tomb was one of the greatest honors ever bestowed upon me,” he said.
Martha Eberhardt of the Gen. Richard Butler Daughters of the American Revolution was one of four formally dressed DAR members who participated in a wreath-laying at the Traveling Tomb.“It's very much a part of the DAR mission of patriotism, historical preservation and education,” Eberhardt said.The American Legion Riders welcomed Legion riders from many local posts to help escort the Traveling Tomb from Barkeyville on Monday morning.“It's an honor,” said Mark Brown of Zelienople American Legion Post 474. “It's about not forgetting our fallen and respect for those who gave all.”Four members of the Legion Riders also laid a wreath at the foot of the Traveling Tomb, as did the same number of members of the Patriot Guard Riders of Pennsylvania.The biker veterans snapped to attention after laying the wreath and slowly saluted the tomb replica.
George Bly, president of Honor Flight Pittsburgh, praised the Butler County Tourism and Convention Bureau and Gen. Richard Butler DAR as well as the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars and Loyal Order of Elks posts that donated or worked to bring the Traveling Tomb to the Butler Farm Show.He also voiced his appreciation for the motorcycle groups, state police, Butler Township Police and the county sheriff's office for helping to escort the Traveling Tomb.“We thank every business, veteran, governmental and civic organization for helping to make this event so memorable,” Bly said.State Rep. Rob Mercuri, R-28th, also laid a wreath with his daughter, Delaney, 11.The gravity of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was not lost on the preteen.“It's good to respect our veterans,” Delaney said as her father looked on proudly. “My dad invited me to come, and I feel really good about it.”The elder Mercuri summed up the thoughts of everyone who attended the ceremony, welcoming the Traveling Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to the farm show on Monday.“There is nothing more important than honoring those who served and gave it all for all of us,” he said.
