HONESDALE, PA — As the snow gently fell, a wreath-laying ceremony was held at Wayne Memorial Hospital (WMH) in remembrance of Pearl Harbor Day.

The ceremony honored the heroic members of the U.S. armed forces who served on that fateful day 82 years ago. A small gathering of veterans from VFW Post 531, American Legion Post 254, veterans’ families 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, which honors 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, which is dedicated to 55 local soldiers who served in World War I. 

The program also included a respectful account of the horrific event in 1941. It also included 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, HI 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.

Contributed by Wayne Memorial Hospital.