Local Teens Support WWII Living History Event at Fort Indiantown Gap

The sky was clear and the air was brisk as Veterans, Civil Air Patrol (CAP) members, reenactors and guests gathered for a Wreath Laying Ceremony held during a weeklong living history event commemorating the 71st Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge. This event is held each year to honor WWII Veterans, some of whom had fought in the actual Battle of the Bulge, a battle revered as one of the largest in Europe during the war.

Washington Composite Squadron 601 members of the Civil Air Patrol have braved the cold, the snow, and the unpredictable weather to play a vital role in assisting during this commemorative event for the past several years. Volunteering for her third year, local teen and CAP Cadet 1Lt Raeann Silassy of Canonsburg was among those chosen to escort a WWII Veteran during the Wreath Laying Ceremony which took place this past January at Fort Indiantown Gap. When asked about the experience Cadet Silassy replied, “It was a great privilege to return to the reenactment of the Battle of the Bulge. Having the opportunity to escort MSgt Jules Desgain (Penn Hills) at the ceremony was an experience I will remember for a long time.” Second year volunteer, Cadet SMsgt Noah Wolfe of Venetia also participated in the ceremony as part of the Civil Air Patrol’s Color Guard. “This year’s lineup was amazing. It spanned from infantry divisions to armored divisions with reenactors who were courteous and knowledgeable about their units. Overall, this was a great experience.”

For some members of squadron 601 this was a new and enlightening experience. 1Lt Bernice Polasky of Canonsburg stated, “The Battle of the Bulge event inspired me! I’ve always been proud to live in the USA but when I had the privilege to meet a 94 year old participant of the Battle of the Bulge I became overwhelmed with admiration. Everyone in the room stood up and saluted him including me. I can only imagine what his eyes saw. I am proud to be an American in every sense of the word! Now my eyes have seen and experienced the American Spirit.” about the weeklong event. For others like Cadet SrA Joshua Sheppard of Washington, participating in the Battle of the Bulge Living History week was a, “fun experience that everyone should attend at least once.”

The Washington Composite Squadron, commanded by Capt. Nancy Parker, meets every Wednesday at the Washington County Flyers’ Club from 7-9pm. CAP was founded just before the start of American involvement in World War II. Squadron 601 is just one of 1,500-plus squadrons around the country involved in cadet programs, emergency services, and aerospace education within their communities. Please visit www.pasquadron601.org for more information.

Civil Air Patrol, the longtime all-volunteer U.S. Air Force auxiliary, is the newest member of the Air Force’s Total Force, which consists of regular Air Force, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, along with Air Force retired military and civilian employees. CAP, in its Total Force role, operates a fleet of 550 aircraft and performs about 90 percent of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center and is credited by the AFRCC with saving an average of 78 lives annually. Civil Air Patrol’s 56,000 members nationwide also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. Its members additionally play a leading role in aerospace education and serve as mentors to more than 24,000 young people currently participating in the CAP cadet program. Performing missions for America for the past 75 years, CAP received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2014 in honor of the heroic efforts of its World War II veterans. CAP also participates in Wreaths Across America, an initiative to remember, honor and teach about the sacrifices of U.S. military veterans. Visit www.capvolunteernow.com for more information.

Image 1-Front Row: WWII Veteran MSgt Jules Desgain, CAP Cadet 1Lt. R. Silassy, Second Row: Dave Prestopine & Jules Desgain, Back Right: Maj G. Karrick, CAP

Image 2-Colorguard CAP Cadets-Left to Right: CAP Cadets C/SMsgt Wolfe, C/2Lt English, C/2Lt Heim