Photo By Joshua Shinn | 240518-A-JT832-1154 CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. Soldiers assigned to the 337th Theater...... read more read more
For the first time since 2014, Letterkenny Army Depot leadership opened the installation to the public for an Armed Forces Day event May 18.
More than 400 community members attended the event, which included self-guided tours of the James Finley House, the Historic Letterkenny Chapel and Franklin County Veterans and 9/11 Memorial Park. Additionally, community members had an opportunity to take a bus tour of the depot to learn more about the Letterkenny mission.
The event started with a small ceremony hosted by Todd Black, deputy to the commander, LEAD. After a playing of the National Anthem, Lt. Col. Kimberly Deaton, commander, Letterkenny Munitions Center, provided remarks about the importance of Armed Forces Day. The ceremony concluded with the playing of the Army song, which community members joined in singing.
“Today is a day to say ‘thank you’ to those who support the service members of the Armed Forces,” Deaton said. “What we ask of our men and women in uniform is challenging on the best days, and it is the military families, extended families and communities, like ours, who support those in uniform and allow them to keep serving.”
Andrew Newman, Letterkenny historian and records manager, oversaw the tours at the James Finley House and coordinated support from the World War II American Experience Museum and Education Center, located in Gettysburg. Members from the center brought WWII-era vehicles, including jeeps, troop transports and weapons carrier trucks.
“This event is important in that we get to engage with the local community supporting our mission,” Newman said. “Not only do we get to showcase what LEAD employees do every day to support the U.S. Armed Forces and our allies, but this event allows us to spotlight our demonstrated excellence since 1942.”
According to Newman, some of the current employees are fourth-generation employees, and this event allows past employees and family members to see how LEAD has evolved throughout the years.
“I’m glad that Letterkenny decided to host an Armed Forces Day event again,” said retired Army Spc. Ronnie Robinson, a 23-year military veteran attendee from Mercersburg. “I think people need to come out and see what is here. They need to get a better understanding of what you are doing because it supports the defense of our country. If we didn’t have installations like Letterkenny Army Depot, our nation would be lost.”
LEAD leadership hosted the first-ever Armed Forces Day event May 20, 1950. For generations, depot commanders continued hosting these events through multiple wars, 9/11 and other significant historical events until 2015.
“I’m so glad we hosted this public event again as it allows us to show the pride our employees take working here at the second-largest employer in Franklin County, Pennsylvania,” Newman said. “We hope to continue this annual Armed Forces Day event for years to come.”
Letterkenny Army Depot is the Army’s premier professional organic maintenance facility that provides overhaul, repair and modifications for tactical missile air defense and space systems, electric power generation equipment and various military vehicles, support systems and protection programs. Letterkenny Army Depot, established in 1942, is a government-owned and operated industrial installation located in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania.
For more information about LEAD, visit https://www.letterkenny.army.mil/. For more information on the James Finley House, visit https://www.dvidshub.net/news/401944/letterkenny-provides-community-with-journey-through-depot-history.
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| Date Taken: | 05.24.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 05.29.2024 07:16 |
| Story ID: | 472226 |
| Location: | CHAMBERSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Web Views: | 448 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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