Wash High to host Veteran's Day event

Washington High School will host a student-organized event Thursday to honor veterans.

Wash High student Benjamin Marasco said he organized the program to honor the sacrifice, courage and service of the nation's veterans and because it is important for this generation to understand the service of our veterans.

"Their debt is one that we can never repay," he said "We want as many people there as possible, so that we may show them our gratitude and gratefulness."

Chief Master Sgt. Terrence Malley will be the keynote speaker for the event in the auditorium that will start at 1:30 p.m.

Malley served in the Marines on a one-year tour of duty in Vietnam. As a squad leader, he and his squad conducted jungle operations, where they engaged enemy units on the North Vietnamese Army as well as Viet Cong forces.

After being discharged from the Marines, he pursued a career in plumbing. He was the foreman for the tropical rain forest complex at the Pittsburgh Zoo and Pittsburgh's River Safety Center.

He re-entered the military in 1981 with the 171st Air Refueling Wing and was selected as a first sergeant in 2000 and served 10 years in that capacity.

He was deployed with the Pennsylvania Air Guard and served tours in five European countries, as well as Japan, Turkey and Kyrgyzstan.

Malley has been awarded 25 federal and state military decorations. He retired from the Pennsylvania Air Guard and the plumbers union in March.

Marasco said veterans, their families and members of the community are invited. Copyright Observer Publishing Co.