Perhaps the most poignant moment of Bethel Park’s Wreaths Across America observance took place when Debbie Huffner and Rogert Kurtz started walking in tandem.
Each had lost a son while on active duty serving his country: Patrick Kutschbach, who was 25 when he died in Afghanistan in 2007, and 10 years later, Russell Kurtz, 22, in Iraq.
Their parents carried wreaths in honor of Gold Star families, immediate relatives of fallen members of the military, to place alongside others at the base of a flagpole in historic Bethel Cemetery.
“Here we are at this cemetery honoring veterans that go all the way back to the Revolutionary War,” state Sen. Devlin Robinson, R-Bridgeville, said in addressing Wreaths Across America participants on Dec. 14.
A member of the U.S. Marine Corps from 2001-25, Robinson spoke about the origin of dog tags in the American military, during the Civil War:
“Those soldiers, knowing that they were going to die on the battlefield or that there was a very good chance, would sew their names and their addresses inside their jackets, so that when they were found, their families could be told of their fate.”
Their actions, he said, affirmed a willingness to defend their country at any cost, “but they are not willing to be forgotten.”
National Wreaths Across America Day, observed yearly in Bethel Park since 2021, is intended to remember and honor service members, past and present, while providing a learning opportunity for younger people. Those who attend are encouraged to lay wreaths on the headstones of veterans’ graves, reading their names aloud and then taking a minute to reflect.
“Each wreath is a gift of appreciation from a grateful nation,” featured speaker Michael Bonacci, an Army veteran and retired Bethel Park educator, said. “For our children, we want them to understand that freedoms they enjoy have come with a cost, and we pray that our children and grandchildren never have to give their lives to protect this country.”
Joining Huffner and Kurtz in laying special wreaths at the cemetery’s flagpole were veterans honoring fellow members of their branches of service: Glenn Connor, Army; Bill Findle, Marine Corps; David Dougherty, Navy; and Scott Barber, Air Force.
Other wreaths were laid by Navy veterans Dan McPoyle and Ken Nagel, in honor of the U.S. Space Force and Merchant Marine, respectively; Army veteran Skip Hornak, POW/MIA; John Oakes, Bethel Park Council president, Coast Guard; Bethel Park Officer Joseph Hummel, police first responders; Bethel Park Volunteer Fire Company member Joe Hartung, firefighter first responders; and Tri-Community South EMS director and paramedic Maureen Evans, emergency medical services first responders.
Marine Corps veteran Haya Eason’s wreath was in memory of veterans who died by suicide, “the second-leading cause of death for veterans under the age of 45,” according to Bethel Park Mayor Jack Allen. A veteran of the Army, Allen announced the wreath-laying proceedings.
Another speaker at the ceremony was District Judge Ron Arnoni, who called the annual event a heart-warming experience.
“As we stand here in this cemetery, I reflect upon the goodness of people and the service of people who make the United States of America so great,” he said. “I thank each and every one of you for being here to follow that great honor of remembering those who served this great country.”
State Rep. Natalie Mihalek, R-Peters, reflected on this year’s Wreaths Across America theme, “Live with purpose.”
“There’s a purpose that brought all of you out here today, and that purpose is service,” she said. “I think there’s no better example of living with purpose than the people who have put this event on.”
With that, she acknowledged the efforts of primary organizer Lisa Jenkins and her husband, Jim, in addition to Mayor Allen, members of the Bethel Park Historical Society and the organization’s president, Tim Moury.
“They know how important it is, not only for us today — and I see some little ones in the crowd — but for future generations to not forget, to make sure that each and every holiday season, that we are recognizing those lives with purpose,” Mihalek said.
According to Moury, Bethel Park-based South Hills Movers donated time and equipment to ensure that more than 500 wreaths arrived safely from Maine for the occasion.
“We encourage you and your children to get involved in your community to serve in a small way that can make a big impact,” he told the people who gathered in Bethel Cemetery. “You don’t have to be in the military to serve your community and country.”
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For more information about Wreaths Across America, visit www.wreathsacrossamerica.org.