Veterans Gather For 9/11 Purple Heart Parking Space Dedication

Local veterans gathered during a Purple Heart Parking Space dedication at Wheeling Park on Wednesday to pay respect for the servicemen who gave up their lives for the country 23 years ago during the events of Sept. 11.

The Purple Heart Parking Space program was begun by VFW Post 4442 Commander Gerald McMasters, who said the program's dedication ceremonies provide an opportunity for veterans wounded in combat to gather and reflect on their time of service.

McMasters said he coordinated the Wheeling Park ceremony to take place on 9/11 as many local veterans have ties to first responders or servicemen who took part in the Afghanistan War that resulted from the terrorist attacks.

"It's our contribution to 9/11 reverence, which is why we held the ceremony today," McMasters said. "We never want to forget Pearl Harbor, and we never want to forget 9/11."

Nat Goudy, manager of Wheeling Park, said it was an "honor" to dedicate the park's space on the anniversary of 9/11.

"I remember where I was on 9/11, and it's 100% an honor to be able to pay tribute to these people," Goudy said. "They joined the military to protect our lives, and it is absolutely the right thing to do for us to honor them."

Veterans gathered at the ceremony could also recall where they were on the day of the 9/11 attacks. They voiced the importance of recognizing all who sacrificed their well-being for the country.

VFW Post 4422 member Dave Schoenian, who received a Purple Heart for his Vietnam War service, was stationed in Vietnam with a police officer who was a first responder during the 9/11 attacks. Schoenian said the officer passed away "a couple of years ago" from the cancers caused by the Agent Orange chemical used as a weapon during the Vietnam War and the dust he inhaled on Ground Zero during the 9/11 attacks.

"I called and talked to him [the officer] the day he died, and I wore my shirt he gave me from the Twin Towers to honor him and other first responders today," Schoenian said. "It's very emotional for me, not only for what happened. I remember I was on the way to the Veterans Association on 9/11, and today, I was thinking about the people who sacrificed their lives to save many others on Flight 93."

Schoenian also reflected on the bravery of first responders who went up into the Twin Towers on 9/11 to save victims.

"Can you imagine going up that tower?" Schoenian questioned. "The first responders did, and I want to thank them and their families. We will never forget their sacrifice."

To be recognized for his own sacrifice to the country through the more than 70 Purple Heart Parking Spaces in the Friendly City is impactful to Schoenian.

"The Purple Heart isn't something we were given, but we earned," Schoenian said. "The county and different businesses like Wheeling Park are recognizing and thanking us for our service and the blood we spilled for this country. I'm proud to park in it because, for me, it's a 'welcome home.'"