Letters June 7, 2012

Posted 6/6/12

Discovered Hill WWII memorial for the first time

I read your article about the ceremonies at the three Chestnut Hill war memorials [“Thoughts about Memorial Day,” May 31] I knew about the …

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Letters June 7, 2012

Posted

Discovered Hill WWII memorial for the first time

I read your article about the ceremonies at the three Chestnut Hill war memorials [“Thoughts about Memorial Day,” May 31] I knew about the WWI and Vietnam spots and had seen the memorial at Watertower from a distance, but I never realized that it was a WWII Memorial.  As soon as I read your article, I went over and sure enough my uncle Thomas Phillips' name is on it.

He lived in Mt. Airy and was killed at Guadalcanal in August, 1942.  When his mother, my grandmother, was living, I would go with her to North Catholic High School, which he left before he graduated to join the Marines, for a memorial service on Memorial Day.  I don't know when the Chestnut Hill memorial was erected, but I am sure that my grandmother never knew of it or else she would have taken us there or talked about it.

My uncle is memorialized (his remains were buried at Guadalcanal) on the Tablets of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial.  Again, my grandmother was never notified of the existence of this cemetery.  It is one of the largest, if not the largest, and most beautiful of the cemeteries all over the world built and managed by the American Battle Monuments Commission.  My sister, husband and nephew visited the cemetery, and so I have some pictures and information.  I also was lucky to get a ticket to attend the dedication of the World War II Memorial in Washington, DC.  What a great weekend that was!  I definitely will attend the Memorial Day ceremonies in Chestnut Hill next year, along with some of my family.

Rita Lawless

Chestnut Hill

Please stop smoking

I would like to persuade people to not smoke. One reason is smoking can lead to diseases, cancer, and maybe even death. Also, if other people are around you, you could harm them too. I really hope you can maybe agree with me and help me make this world a better place.

P.S. Please write me back in the newspaper if you agree or disagree.

Lauren Martz, age 8

Chestnut Hill

Thanks for MALT support

For the last couple of months every time I pick up the Local it is stuffed full of MALT classes or events. Len you truly are the best!  You have been so very kind to us with photos and blurbs about our classes.  I think it is the sweetest thing in the world that you help us inform people about fun events happening in our community!  We will be back in the fall with our house tour and this year I will do an ad for our concert in the Wissahickon!  It is in a private home and so we were afraid in the past to “open it up” like that, but we’ve decided we can handle more people and all of the cull-de- sac is now on board with the event and wants us to throw open the gates! My point was:  You guys rock! And I/we appreciate all you do for our hood and for MALT!

Jonna Naylor

Executive Director

Mount Airy Learning Tree (MALT)

How'd they do it?

On a once-in-a-lifetime trip, as I overlooked the beaches, Point Du Hoc, and went to St. Mere Eglise, I wondered: How in God's name did they ever do it? The beginning of the end of WWII in Europe truly was  “The Longest Day in History” ─ the day boys became men and men became heroes. May we never forget their sacrifices. The invasion of Normandy, the 6th of June, 1944.

Tom Woodruff

Oreland

 

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