Acadia Manley was familiar with Mount Vernon Cemetery and its section reserved for veterans. But she didn’t know much about the most revered veterans buried in the cemetery – those killed in action.
“I always see their names on all the plaques and gravestones but you never know who they were as just a normal person,” she said.
The 22-acre private cemetery is home to 15 of the 43 men from Abington who have died while in service to their country, such as Chester Belcher, who lost his life on Nov. 5, 1918 while training on tanks during World War I, and Daniel Vasselian, who was killed in Afghanistan on Dec. 23, 2013. There are 1,000 veterans interred in the cemetery altogether.
For her Eagle Scout project, Manley researched the backgrounds of the 15 KIA interred in Mount Vernon, and built a page on the town’s website providing visitors with more information. She also created a digital map of their gravesites for anyone who wants to pay their respects. Visitors to the cemetery can access the webpage by scanning a QR code placed in the veterans section.
Manley said the project took six months to complete; she started in September 2022 and finished this past March. just three days before her 18th birthday. Working with other volunteers, Manley went through newspaper clippings and built a database with information on Abington’s KIA.
“As far as the impact to our community goes, we owe a debt of gratitude to our KIA. They sacrificed their own life, and now we get to continue living and enjoying ours. They allowed us to have the freedom and rights we do today, because of their sacrifices,” said Abington Veterans Services Director Adam Gunn.
“Acadia’s work helps us remember their legacy and a little about who they were as a person, so we can continue to pay our respect and gratitude. My hope is that Acadia’s work will continue to inspire others to reflect, remember, and honor our fallen heroes.”
During her research, Manley came across names of Abington service members who died while serving during war time, but aren’t considered by the Department of Defense to have been “killed in action.” These include men who died of illness or accidents away from the front line.
This project had personal meaning to Manley because her grandfather fought in Vietnam and her great-grandfather fought in WW2.
Manley formally presented her project this spring. During the town’s Memorial Day ceremony, Manley read the names of the 15 KIA buried in Mount Vernon that she researched.
Manley is also the first girl in Abington to acheive the rank of Eagle Scout.
“Girls are still relatively new to the BSA program. Our girl troop, Scouts BSA Troop 41G, has been in existence for less than a year. I hope Acadia’s project highlights this program and demonstrates what all youth can accomplish when they join Scouts. We are always looking for new members,” said Troop Master Chris Schultz.
Manley is one of three Scouts from Abington to complete their Eagle Scout project this year. Charles Pozerski replaced benches outside of Town Hall, including one dedicated to former Veteran Services Agent Joe Colantonio. And Michael O’Leary spruced up the flagpole area at Laidler Field, which is dedicated in memory to Charles Laidler, who died in Vietnam on Sept. 26, 1970.
You must be logged in to post a comment.