A wreath-laying ceremony was held at Wayne Memorial Hospital (WMH) in Honesdale, PA on December 7 in recognition of Pearl Harbor Day and the heroic members of our armed forces who served that fateful day 81 years ago. Veterans from VFW Post 531, American Legion Post 254, veterans' family members, local officials and members of the WMH administration and staff attended the solemn ceremony. WMH Board Chair Hugh Rechner, a former U.S. Army pilot who served two tours in the Vietnam War, led the start of the program at the hospital’s centennial plaque honoring all who served our country in the U.S. Armed Forces. The ceremony ended with the wreath laying at the hospital’s original dedication plaque dedicated to 55 local soldiers who served in World War I.  With immense respect, the program also included a summary account of the horrific event in 1941, the Pledge of Allegiance, a memorial prayer and the playing of Taps by local bugler Doug Wyllie.

One of the darkest days in U.S. history, the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii was called by President Franklin D. Roosevelt “a date which will live in infamy.”  The surprise attack by the Japanese claimed approximately 2,400 lives and marked the official entry of the U.S. into World War II.