Hopes will be Raised for Helicopter Memorial Monument

This Memorial Day, a special flag-raising ceremony will take place at .

The will lead the 10 a.m. ceremony, which is meant to honor those whose military service has asked of them the ultimate sacrifice.

During the special ceremony, the Willow Grove VFW Post commander and other post officers will present symbolic tributes.

Local government officials will also speak at the occasion, including Upper Moreland Township board president Sam Valenza and state Rep. Tom Murt, as well as an officer with the 111th Fighter Wing, PA Air National Guard.

A color guard presentation, 21-gun salute and the playing of “Taps” will help to honor the occasion.

, president of the Willow Grove VFW Home Association, explained the significance of holding a public Memorial Day ceremony.

“We are grateful for the sacrifices made by those in the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard. These men and women put their lives on the line day in and day out,” Storti said. “This event pays tribute to these service men and women.”

According to Storti, the site of the flag-raising ceremony and, in fact, the flags themselves have significant meaning in Willow Grove’s continued tribute to honoring the nation’s military services.

From War Memorial to Veterans Memorial

Veteran’s Memorial Park was once known as War Memorial Park, in honor of World War II veterans. The original park was 9 acres. Within it stands a war memorial in the form of a cement wall arranged in a half moon, which may still be seen today.

Although the township owns and maintains the park, decisions on park developments are conducted by the Willow Grove World War II Memorial Association, which has existed in Willow Grove since the 1960s.

According to Storti, who has been the president of the World War II Memorial Association since 1993, the park has been integral to several revitalization plans for the township.

“The township has talked about revitalization and improving the economy,” he said. “One thing that they talked about was having a focal point. The park could be a good center point.”

As a result, improvements over the years proceeded, such as providing a direct access road to the park from York Road. Several park amenities were also added, including a roller-hockey rink. Currently, the commissioners are discussing the creation of a walking trail.

Amid the improvements to the park, the World War II Memorial Association also wanted to see an improvement to the existing memorial.

It all started in Porterville, CA.

During the 1990s, the initial improvements to the existing memorial consisted of placing the branch shields of all the armed forces along the half-moon cement wall, with small American flags adorning the perimeter.

However, to Storti, there was something missing with the memorial; something else could be added.

“Someone had given me a newspaper article about a small town called Porterville in California,” Storti, who is a Vietnam veteran, recalled. “During Vietnam, Porterville had the highest loss of lives than in any city.”

According to the Porterville Vietnam Memorial website, the small town lost more men per capita than any other U.S. city during the Vietnam War. To honor the sacrifice of those soldiers, the town erected a monument that put an actual-size Vietnam War “Huey” helicopter on a curved pedestal.

How to build a veterans memorial

When another revitalization effort presented itself, in the early 2000s, Storti took the opportunity to present the new veterans monument to the Willow Grove VFW and then the township commissioners.

“When new concepts and plans started, the focal point was again the park area,” Storti said. “They called it the crown jewel of the revitalization effort.”

By July 30, 2004, Storti had made a presentation to the township commissioners, informing them of what was being called the Helicopter Monument.

After his presentation, a Helicopter Monument committee met for the first time on Aug. 10 that same year, and would continue to meet every Tuesday at the Willow Grove VFW for the next seven years, and counting.

The committee comprised 10 original members representing several civic and charitable associations, which, in turn, represented a wide cross-reference of township interests.

Further community support came from resolutions made in October and November of 2004 by organizations such as the Delaware Valley Historical Aircraft Association and American legion Liberty Post 308.

“We wanted the township to know that it is veterans in general that were supporting the project,” Storti said. “I believe it’s an opportunity to showcase Willow Grove, and to honor all the veterans of all the wars.”

Also in November, the township board of commissioners approved the idea of a helicopter monument in the park.

In the coming months, the monument committee would seek grants to help pay for upfront costs, asking the help from the offices of Murt and state Sen. Stewart Greenleaf.

The grants would be provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, and with each office helping, the committee was able to procure $20,000 in grants in the months and years to come.

In May, 2004, the Helicopter Monument committee then worked with McCloskey and Faber, who prepared drawings for the new memorial; and also worked with Joe Cooke, president at Cooke/Chachkes Associates in Blue Bell, for an engineering review.

However, as the monument committee did not have all the funds needed for the formal designs at the time, Storti said that McCloskey and Faber allowed the committee to pay upon credit, while Cooke/Chachkes performed services pro bono.

According to Storti, the formal drawings did not exceed $17,000.

The township commissioners at the time also helped the project by waiving land development costs and approving, on Oct. 12, 2005, the new location for the memorial monument itself in War Memorial Park, which was changed to Veterans Memorial Park in the same month.

Earlier that month, Storti contacted Leonard Federico of Federico Helicopters in Fesno, CA., and requested the support arm (pedestal) drawings that his company did for the Porterville monument.

Vance Wiley of Wood-Wiley and Associates was also contacted to get the engineering calculations for the support arm. Storti also noted that each service was done pro-bono, as well.

Getting ‘shovel-ready’

After yet another structural engineer approved the drawings, the township approved the commencement of construction on Dec. 29, 2005.

“But, we had no money,” Storti recalled. “We had no fundraising campaign.”

The memorial monument and park area were very much a part of the revitalization plans in 2006, as the same area is with today's new revitalization efforts, but it was up to the committee to continue to raise funds for the monument’s construction.

In July 2006, brick and corporate sponsor programs were implemented, and the committee’s first beef and beer fundraising event was held that month.

Sponsors have included the late Joe Hagy, former vice president to the Willow Grove VFW, who gave $2,500; and Charles Kremp, president of the Willow Grove Foundation, who donated $1,000.

Other fundraising tactics included hosting 50/50 chances every week at the VFW and selling of corporate-sponsored T-shirts related to the monument, and expanding the message online, including social networking and creating a website about the effort.

“It never stopped. Every month for seven years, we met on the third Tuesday to discuss the project. We never gave up,” Storti said. “To me, personally, it was everything. I am a veteran, I have the will and drive to see it through.”

Bob and Michelle Young of Youngscape in Willow Grove also donated $1,800 toward publicity and marketing costs to get the word out about the Memorial Day flag-raising ceremony.

The flag-raising ceremony represents the first tangible realization of the monument project, whose poles and placement were installed pro-bono by Youngscape.

“We are actually starting to see that something like this can come to fruition,” Storti said. “That will be the first shovel in the ground.”

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The Memorial Day flag raising ceremony will conclude with an open house at the Willow Grove VFW for veterans and their families.

For more information, visit www.willowgroveveterans.org.

For an updated list of more Willow Grove 300 celebration events, visit www.willowgrove300.org.