Shinglehouse Bridge Dedication Set for Veterans Day, Causer Says

HARRISBURG – Area veterans and citizens are invited to a bridge dedication ceremony honoring a local veteran of the Vietnam War who made the ultimate sacrifice for his country.

U.S. Army Spc. Gerald Duane Stonemetz will be memorialized at noon on Veterans Day, Monday, Nov. 11, when the bridge carrying State Route 44 over the Oswayo Creek in Shinglehouse Borough is named in his honor. The ceremony, hosted by Rep. Martin Causer (R-Turtlepoint) and Shinglehouse American Legion Post 530, will be held at the bridge site.

“It’s been more than four decades since Specialist Stonemetz lost his life, but what he did for us and for his country should never be forgotten,” Causer said. “Naming this bridge in his honor ensures he and his sacrifice will be remembered for generations to come.”

Stonemetz of Shinglehouse served in the U.S. Army and died in a vehicle crash in Vietnam on Jan. 8, 1969, at the age of 21. He was awarded the Army Commendation Medal, the National Defense Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Ribbon and Marksman Badge with rifle bar.