Barrar legislation ensures Medal of Honor recipients memorialized

Posted by Press Release on August 24, 2011

With the most recent
Pennsylvania Medal of Honor recipient recently memorialized in the Soldiers’
Grove Tides of War Memorial Garden, state Rep. Stephen E. Barrar, R-160, of
Boothwyn, reiterated the need to devise a plan for the future use of the
grounds as an honorarium for MOH recipients, as space is dwindling.

“Soldiers’ Grove was
established by law in 1987 to honor Pennsylvania’s military heroes,” said
Barrar. “In 1994, the Medal of Honor Memorial Garden, known as the ‘Tides of
War’ was created. With the number of honorees expected to be memorialized on
these grounds, we may run out of space as early as 2016. We have to take action
now to ensure that our future heroes receive the tribute they deserve.”

Barrar authored House
Resolution 331, which the House unanimously approved in June, to form a select
committee to study the future and continued use of the Soldiers’ Grove and the
Medal of Honor Garden. Barrar, as majority chairman of the House Veterans
Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee, would serve as the chairman of
the select committee, which is required to report its findings and
recommendations to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives on or before Nov.
30, 2012.

“The soldier we honored here
today, Chief Master Sergeant Richard Loy Etchberger, is a shining example of
courage and valor,” said Barrar. “He sacrificed and gave his life for
this nation and earned the distinction of being honored on the hallowed ground
in Soldiers’ Grove. It would be offensive to him and to all other current
and future Medal of Honor recipients to ignore the issues facing this
memorial.”

Currently, 379 MOH recipients
are memorialized at Soldiers’ Grove.