By KEITH PARADISE
Staff writer
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NEWVILLE — Dedication plans are officially in place to rename the Newville post office on Memorial Day in honor Medal of Honor winner Sgt. 1st Class Randall Shughart.
The Joint Veterans Council of Newville on May 29 will conduct a memorial service along with a parade and will conclude with the dedication ceremony for the post office. Black Hawk helicopters will fly over the post office and land across from the building. Michael Durant, who was saved by Shughart in Somalia, has been asked to be the speaker. |
"It's going to be huge," said Rebecca Heberlig of the Veterans Council. The memorial service honoring all veterans who died during the past year will begin at noon at the Veterans Memorial next to the fountain, and will be followed by a parade at 1 p.m. A dedication service for the post office, which is being sponsored by the Chi Gamma Iota fraternity, will be after the parade.
Shughart, a Delta commando, died in a battle in the Somalian city of Mogadishu while trying to rescue the crew of a downed U.S. helicopter in 1993.
Shughart and Delta Commando Master Sgt. Gary Gordon dropped from a helicopter and worked their way toward the crew of the downed Black Hawk helicopter. Shughart rescued Durant outside of the helicopter and then held off Somali gunman until he and Gordon were overtaken and killed. Durant was taken hostage and eventually released.
Shughart received a posthumous Medal of Honor and the scene that caused his death was recreated in the Mark Bowden book, "Black Hawk Down," which was later made into a movie.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution in September that allowed naming the post office for Shughart. U.S. Reps. Bill Shuster, R-Hollidaysburg, and Todd Platts, R- York, are expected to attend.
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Keith Paradise can be reached at 262-4811 or [email protected].
Source: Public Opinion, April 18, 2006