A monumental road trip
The Express-Times has mapped a route for day-trippers looking for a meaningful Memorial Day road trip.
These stones hold few words, but stand in brief testament to brave men’s deeds. Others overwhelm with names, battles and all the details that link local communities to heroes made of ordinary men and women.
The full loop is about 180-miles, give or take a bit depending on how many wrong turns you make, which restaurants you visit and how many comfort stops you need.
Our trip took nine hours to complete, but you can limit yours to just New Jersey, or just Pennsylvania by closing the loops on both sides of the Delaware River between Belvidere and Phillipsburg, or Bangor and Easton.
But why should you even bother with such a journey, especially since gas prices have shot through the stratosphere.
David Graf, director of the Northampton County Department of Veterans Affairs, says simply, “It’s a way to honor our war dead.”
Pam Moll, office manager of Monumental Crafts on Main Street in Hellertown, says her shop has created several of what she calls “civic monuments.”
“They tell a story,” she explains. “They give more importance to (soldiers’) lives and what they’ve done.”
Some people are more moved than others. Take Paul McFadden, for instance. For his Eagle project, the Easton Boy Scout put together a book and talked to audiences about the history of the monuments in his city.
Flynn adds, “Everyone deserves a marker, especially a loved one. And every veteran should be recognized and never forgotten.”
Tags: amp, belvidere, bet, boy scout, civic monuments, david graf, day road trip, day trippers, delaware river, department of veterans affairs, eagle project, express times, gas prices, hellertown, meaningful memorial, moll, northampton county, ordinary men, paul mcfadden, phillipsburg, raft, rafts, Road Trip, stratosphere, Trip, trip to
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Sunday, May 25th, 2008 at 11:11 pm under