'Have a lot of heroes': Shanksville's new military banners hold war stories of community's residents

May 6—SHANKSVILLE, Pa. — There aren't enough utility poles in Shanksville Borough to hang all 133 new military banners in town.

The banners bearing the military portraits of Shanksville's veterans and active duty servicemen and women will also soar over roads about a half-mile outside of town in neighboring areas.

"For a small town, we have a lot of heroes," Peggy Reese said as she looked around the Shanksville Community Grove tennis courts Saturday, where the banners were displayed before the work to hang them around town starts Monday.

Reese and her siblings Rick Lambert, Patty Will, Vanessa Gardener, Tim Lambert and Russ Lambert stood in front of a banner depicting their father, Cpl. Russell J. Lambert, who was in an Army Jeep that was shot at during the Korean War so he and his fellow soldiers took cover in a ditch, they said.

Kathie Shaffer, one of the organizers of the project, saw Jim Hillegass arrive and said his father's photo "looked like a movie star."

Hillegass' father, Tech. Sgt. Blaine C. Hillegass, served in the U.S. Army during World War II.

"He never told many stories about the war, but at the Battle of the Bulge, they were surrounded," Jim Hillegass said.

That battle was the last major German attack launched through the forested Ardennes region between Belgium and Luxembourg.

"They got a radio transmission saying they may have to be prepared to surrender," Hillegass said. "They brought troops off the Russian front to fight there, so things changed and they got out, but it was a scary time."

Hillegass' uncle on his mother's side, U.S. Army Pfc. Oliver Ramsey McNeal, died in the Battle of the Bulge, he said.

McNeal's banner was displayed not far from the banner of Hillegass' father.

McNeal was about 20 years old, maybe younger. He was a machine-gunner, Hillegass said.

"With the type of machine gun he had, one of those big heavy things, they told his family that his estimated life span in battle was eight minutes," Hillegass said.

McNeal was among 18 war veterans depicted in the banners marked with black ribbons who did not make it home.

Those banners will be raised at the Shanksville Community Grove, 1291 Cornerstone Road.

A majority of banners honor veterans who've returned home to raise families and work in Shanksville, and some active duty military members who are currently serving. Hillegass recognized many of their names and photos.

Les Orlidge's father, Lt. Arthur E. Orlidge, was a doctor in Shanksville for many years after serving in the Korean War.

He entered Naval training and medical training after high school during World War II, but by the time his medical internship at Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center in Johnstown was complete, World War II had ended and the Korean War subsequently began in 1950 when North Korea invaded South Korea.

Orlidge's father served on a medical transport from the West Coast of the United States to Korea where injured troops were picked up and taken to Japan for recovery or back to the United States.

"He made that loop for two years during the war," Orlidge said.

Part of his motivation to become a doctor was to be able to afford to build a house for his parents in Shanksville after the war, which he did, Orlidge said, and continued to work at the state hospital during the day and see private patients in the evenings.

Shanksville Council President Mark Wilt delivered remarks as people gathered on the tennis courts, surrounded by banners bearing the faces of veterans from World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

"The faces of these veterans and active duty military will become familiar to us as these banners fly above the streets of Shanksville and the Stonycreek Township roads leading into Shanksville," Wilt said. "These banners not only serve as visual reminders of sacrifices made by our military community, but also as symbols of hope, resilience and unity.

Wilt said the banners show the price of freedom.

"In the rich tapestry of our nation's history, the contributions of our veterans stand out as a shining example of courage, honor and selflessness," Wilt said. "From the trenches of World War I to the deserts of Iraq and Afghanistan, these brave men and women have faced adversity with unwavering resolve, upholding the ideals of freedom and democracy."

The banners for the project, organized by the Shanksville Borough Council and a trio of three volunteers — Shaffer, Linda Meyer and Donna Glessner — were sponsored by families of veterans staring in November. Not all of Shanksville's veterans will be represented. More can be found online at shanksvillesalutes.org.

"This is a day to be proud of the community and our military heritage," Shaffer said.