Military Magazine 2026

‘Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction’

BY TOM LAUB Lifestyles editor tlaub@lewistownsentinel.com

In July of 2026, America will celebrate its 250th birthday. The experiment in freedom that officially began in 1776 was preceded by acts of the Continental Congress to establish the Continental Army (June 14, 1775), Continental Navy (October 13, 1775) and Continental Marines (Nov. 10, 1775). Though the Colonies had yet to declare independence from Great Britain, the seeds had been planted and a military had been formed.

The rest is history — 251 years worth. Today, America celebrates on the backs of all who served in all branches of the U.S. Military. Freedom was forged through the fire and hell of war. Thousands paid the price. Thousands never saw home again. Thousands had their lives forever changed. The nation remembers.

Decoration Day, as it was originally called, became a nationwide day of remembrance on May 30, 1868 to honor fallen soldiers of the Civil War. Flowers were placed on graves along with other tributes. After World War I, the tribute was modified to include U.S. Military personnel who died in all wars. In 1971, Memorial Day became an official federal holiday recognized on the last Monday in May.

Every Memorial Day, parades, solemn ceremonies, laying of wreaths and various other commemorations honor the fallen and recognize the living. This year, each event is magnified by the nation’s milestone, not only for recognizing the past, but for preparing for the future.

Generations have passed

since the nation’s earliest conflicts and all since, including those in the 20th century. There are many today who are unaware of America’s involvement in World Wars I and II, the Korean War, Vietnam and possibly Desert Storm and even the war in Iran. There may be little knowledge of the origins of Memorial Day itself, aside from picnics, a vacation day or the unofficial start of summer. Education is vital. The importance of linking the past, the present and the future has never been more consequential.

President Ronald Reagan, in a speech on July 6, 1987, said, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. It has to be fought for and defended by each generation.”

Likewise, each generation must learn and understand what has come before and why, and what would life and the world be had certain actions not been taken.

What if the Third Reich had not been defeated in World War II? What if the U.S. had not been involved to help our European allies? We would see a much different world today. The same “what ifs” apply to every conflict involving American forces. Many nations owe a debt of gratitude. Their cemeteries are lined with fallen Americans.

In 2026, fighting for freedom requires not only military might, but an ironclad resolve to fend off false rhetoric that distorts and diminishes America’s role in preserving and protecting liberty in today’s world and throughout history. Education must win out over radical indoctrination.

As President Reagan warned, defending liberty is never-ending.

“We proudly choose freedom,” he said.

Since the formation of the Continental Army, Navy and Marines in 1775, the United States Military has changed the course of history. Not just our own, but world history as well. The U.S. has answered the call time and again, standing shoulder to shoulder with allies or going it alone if the situation dictated.

Today, the Armed Forces of the United States include the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard and Space Force. The men and women who serve do so with honor and deserve the respect of all.

Thank you to all who have served our great nation. We

are lucky to live in the “land of the free and the home of the brave.” To those who made the ultimate sacrifice, may you rest in peace as true heroes. To those still serving, Godspeed. We salute the Armed Forces of the United States: Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard and Space Force.

God Bless our troops and God Bless America.

VFW Post 5935 celebrates 80th anniversary

May 1946 – May 2026

BY KEN WYLAND AND MICHAEL “TED” CAROTHERS

BELLEVILLE — Nowhere in its charter does it say that Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5935 would ingrain itself so deeply into community life, becoming a beacon of benevolence throughout the Big Valley.

Yet today, 80 years after it was chartered, the post stands as a lasting monument to a group of individuals led by John Hostetler, a World War I veteran, who organized the very frst meeting at the Belleville Community Hall. Thirty-fve names were inscribed on the original charter—none of whom are with us today. Known as the driving force behind the effort, Hostetler was elected commander at that frst meeting.

Soon after, the Post acquired a property to be known as the Stroup–Alexander Post home. Historical records show the building was purchased from the Levi M. Yoder Estate for approximately $15,000— equivalent to roughly $275,000 today.

Chartered in February 1946, the post was dedicated in honor of two Belleville servicemen: Private John C. Stroup,

U.S. Army, and Lt. Commander Hugh S. Alexander, U.S. Navy. Both were the frst from the Belleville community to be killed in action in World War I and World War II, respectively. Private Stroup was killed on Sept. 12, 1918, in France, and

Lt. Commander Alexander lost his life on Dec. 7, 1941, during the attack on Pearl Harbor.

In May 1950, the VFW erected a memorial monument on the front lawn of the post to honor those from the community who gave their lives in service to our country. This monument remains the centerpiece of the annual Memorial Day ceremony, bearing plaques with the names of those who made the ultimate sacrifce in every war to date.

One of the post’s most enduring traditions is its Memorial Day ceremony and parade—held every year for 80 consecutive years without interruption. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, the post ensured the tradition continued by organizing a detail to pay tribute to the fallen. The post takes immense pride in this unbroken streak and is grateful for the continued support of the community in honoring this sacred tradition.

Since its founding, VFW Post 5935 has been supported by generations of veterans and families driven by patriotism and pride in the United States

of America following the end of World War II. Over the years, the post has supported veterans in need, hosted countless community events, and served as a gathering place for wedding receptions, baby showers, christenings, Boy Scouts, the women’s auxiliary, local sports teams, fre and ambulance volunteers and many more.

Most recently, the post sponsored the Belleville Family Christmas celebration in 2023 and 2024, with the event moving to township grounds in 2025. The strength and vision of the original charter members are still evident today, especially in their purchase of the beautiful three-story home on East Main Street, once considered a mansion, which now houses the post, including a museum on the third foor.

For 80 years, VFW Post 5935 has stood strong. Without the dedication of its members and social members, this legacy would not have been possible.

If you would like to support the Post, email: vfwpost5935donations@ gmail.com.

WE HONOR THOSE WHO WE HONOR THOSE WHO WE HONOR THOSE WHO SERVE OUR COUTNRY SERVE OUR COUTNRY SERVE OUR COUTNRY

Past, Present, & Future

Stroup-Alexander VFW Post 5935: 80 years of service

BY TOM LAUB Lifestyles editor tlaub@lewistownsentinel.com

BELLEVILLE — Eighty years of service to the community. Since 1946, Stroup-Alexander VFW Post 5935 in Belleville has honored our nation, served the Belleville community and recognized veterans spanning eight decades.

It did not take long for the post to make its mark after an organizational meeting was held on Jan. 31, 1946. Within a few months, on May 30, 1946, the post home was dedicated. The frst post commander was John Hostetler.

The post is named for Pvt. John C. Stroup (1888-1918) and Lt. Cdr. Hugh Alexander. Stroup entered the Army in August 1917 and was killed

in action in France on Sept. 12, 1918. Alexander, born and raised in Belleville, entered the U.S. Navy during World War I and became a career offcer. He was serving aboard the USS Oklahoma as a dentist prior to his death Dec. 7, 1941, at Pearl Harbor.

What began in 1946, continues today. Stroup-Alexander VFW Post 5935 Secretary-Treasurer of Board of Governors Ken Wyland can verify that from experience.

Wyland served with the U.S. Army Infantry Division in Vietnam from 1969 to 1970. Upon his return to the U.S., he was a member of the Huntingdon VFW for 15 years. The last 40 years have been spent as a member of Post 5935, including 10 years as post commander.

He beams with pride at the mention of the post and the

entire Belleville community.

“Belleville has become a patriotic village, proven every Memorial Day,” Wyland said. “Flags everywhere in hands along the parade route. The VFW building is a landmark of the town.”

Though he has only been a part of the history for half of the VFW’s lifespan, Wyland has seen the progression of Belleville’s Memorial Day ceremonies over the past four decades.”

“They have gotten bigger,” he said.

Aside from 80 consecutive years of honoring the full measure of devotion on Memorial Day, including the Covid years, Post 5935 plays an active role in helping the local community. Efforts include support for ball teams, the shelter in Lewistown and scholarships for local students.

As time passes, the importance of passing the torch increases. The legacy handed down from previous generations must be protected and transitioned to younger members of the community.

Wyland offers advice.

“To reach the students in schools,” he said. “Bring back the Pledge of Allegiance every morning in schools.”

Stroup-Alexander VFW Post 5935 will remember veterans with a church service on Sunday, May 24 and a parade and Memorial Day service at the VFW Post Home on Main Street in Belleville on Monday, May 25.

The public is invited to the church service Sunday, May 24 at 9 a.m. at Watts Memorial United Methodist Church, 38 Walnut St., Belleville. VetSee VFW / Page 9

Major Miller’s influence: Glenn Miller’s legacy lives on

BY JOSEPH WALK Special to the Lewistown Sentinel

The Lewistown Community Band is currently rehearsing music for our nation’s sestercentennial (or semiquincentennial) celebration this July. Some of the tunes include great songs from World War II.

These songs are very familiar to me. My father loved big band music of the 1930s and 1940s. I remember listening to big band records over and over as a youngster. Dad particularly enjoyed the great trumpet player Clyde McCoy effortlessly playing the famous “Sugar Blues,” his theme song. Mom occasionally sang “The White Cliffs of Dover” as she baked bread or otherwise puttered in the kitchen. She also enjoyed belting out “We’ll Meet Again,” the English singer Vera Lynn’s trademark tune. These were, of course, World War II songs which meant something very hopeful to my parents. This was the music I listened to because, well, it was there in our home. As I grew older I discovered Simon and Garfunkel, the Beatles, the Carpenters and other popular artists of my teen years. Creedence Clearwater Revival was big…very big…in my world. But music of the mid-20th century is truly America’s songbook.

There were some songs which simply defned the big band sound. Music of the ’30s and ’40s typifed the “swing era” and most big band music was composed for spirited dancing although there were more than a handful of slow tunes such as Glenn Miller’s signature song “Moonlight Serenade.” His soulful rendition of “A String of Pearls” is another slower tempo tune which exhibited the popular swing style.

Glenn Miller volunteered to serve in the United States Army Air Forces as a bandleader.

In 1942, the great composer and arranger Glenn Miller volunteered to serve in the United States Army Air Forces as a bandleader. He gave up about $20,000 per week (in 1942 dollars). He was commissioned and left his civilian orchestra in the capable hands of Harry James, a contemporary bandleader and superb trumpet player. A classic big band of the 1940s consisted of four trumpets, four trombones, four or fve saxophones, percussion, piano, a rhythm guitar, one upright bass and usually a couple of singers. Miller’s newly-formed military band added strings and a solo clarinet and it took a big stage for their full and rich sound.

There was no better big band during WWII. Glenn Miller, an excellent trombonist, was perhaps the one bandleader during the war who understood the power of music which could, and did, positively infuence a country craving camaraderie and unity during wartime. His precise and harmonic arrangements helped shape and defne swing and people loved the high-energy sound of his orchestra. Glenn Miller had 16 number one records during his short career.

Why was he so special to the

war effort? Miller formed “The Captain Glenn Miller Army Air Forces Orchestra” and was sent to Europe in 1944 after several years stateside. In England, General James Doolittle, Commander of the 8th Air Force, attended a Miller concert in July 1944. He declared, “Captain Miller, next to a letter from home, your band is the greatest morale booster in the European Theatre.”

His infuence is still being felt today as Glenn Miller’s legacy lives on. The Marine Corps All-Star Jazz Band, the Navy Commodores, the U.S. Army Blues, and the Air Force Airmen of Note are swing and jazz bands in our various military services today. The Airmen of Note, stationed at Bolling Air Force Base near Washington, D.C., was created in 1950, a mere six years after Major Miller was gone. These orchestras are a living tribute to Major Glenn Miller.

Newly promoted Major Miller unfortunately died in 1944 in an Army Air Forces UC-64 aircraft accident, on his way to France after D-Day. He was only 40 years old. His headstone in Arlington National Cemetery records him as Missing in Action. Carved into the white marble stone is

a trombone and “Bronze Star Medal.” Although Glenn Miller was a non-combatant, his patriotism and dedication to his country and his craft were unquestionable.

Appropriately, the Air Force has a swing band in Europe, the Ambassadors, at Ramstein Air Base. They keep “The Major Glenn Miller Army Air Forces Orchestra” alive by performing big band classics. Yes, the infuence of Glenn Miller is far reaching indeed. His inspiration is still felt 82 years after he died. In the music he left, the feelings of goodwill he created, and the patriotism he displayed, we shall never forget the morale-boosting Major Glenn Miller and the big band era of WWII.

Incidentally, one of the biggest hits of the Glenn Miller Orchestra was “Pennsylvania 6-5000.” The song was named after the actual phone number of the Pennsylvania Hotel in New York City. The Miller band, along with many other big bands, played in the hotel’s Café Rouge ballroom.

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Joseph Walk is a retired USAF Lt Col. He and his wife, Nancy, reside in Belleville.

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erans can meet at 8:30 a.m. in the church basement for light refreshments prior to the service.

The annual parade through Belleville will begin at 9:30 a.m. Monday, May 25. The parade forms at the St. John’s Lutheran Church at the west end of Belleville and proceeds to the post home on Main Street. The memorial service starts at the conclusion of the parade at the post home.

This year’s Grand Marshall will be John W. Allison, life member of the post for 10 years. Allison served in Vietnam from 1966 to 1968 with the 101st Radio Research Unit. He and his wife Sarah reside in Church Hill, Reedsville. They have two children.

The guest speaker for the 2026 ceremonies will be Major General (Retired) Laura A. McHugh, Pennsylvania Army National Guard.

“Thank a veteran every time you recognize a cap or uniform,” Wyland said. “They made the country free.”

Left: Stroup–Alexander VFW Post 5935 Memorial Day parade in Belleville. (Photo courtesy of Stroup–Alexander VFW Post 5935)

Right: Stroup-Alexander VFW Post 5935 in Belleville. (Sentinel fle photo / LIV SUYDAM)

Margraten: A special bond for 80 years

BY RICK BODENSCHATZ Special to the Lewistown Sentinel

LEWISTOWN — While the cemetery is over 3,800 miles away, it shares a special relationship with the Lewistown area. The Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial at Margraten is the resting place of three U.S. Army soldiers from Juniata Terrace who gave their lives in World War II.

The cemetery is unique among all European-U.S. Cemeteries of that war. From its beginnings in November, 1944, each soldier buried at

Margraten has a local Netherland’s citizen sponsor who volunteers to visit these heroes from the past. The sponsors periodically place fowers on the American soldiers’ graves, attend cemetery special events such as Memorial Day and they meet with visiting family and friends of the soldiers when those visits occur.

Those from Juniata Terrace who perished were Private Richard Elder sponsored by Hedwig Darley, Private First-Class James Lewis Clark sponsored by Leo Kretzers and Technician 5th Grade Earl Joseph George sponsored by Frans Perey. All three were buried in 1945.

The American Army freed this area of the Netherlands from over four years of Nazi occupation in September, 1944. The Dutch are forever thankful for their freedom and in this small way, they are repaying these fallen Americans for their sacrifce. Most Dutch sponsors are now the children, grandchildren and other family members of the original sponsors. All 8,301 soldiers buried at Margraten have a Dutch sponsor, while there is a long waiting list for Dutch citizens to become a sponsor.

During a 2025 visit to Margraten, my wife, Ruth, and I, a past resident and historian of Juniata Terrace, met with the three current sponsors of these soldiers. Also in attendance were friends Captain Peter Steenmeijer, Royal Neth-

erlands Navy (Retired), and his wife Margot.

To mark the 80th anniversary of these three soldier’s burials, a special ceremony was conducted by cemetery offcials. The sponsors placed fowers on the graves, along with American and Netherlands fags. Sand from the D-Day invasion beaches of Normandy, France was provided by cemetery offcials. The sponsors rubbed this special sand into the names carved into each cross marking the graves. In the sunlight, the sand shines as gold.

To each sponsor, I presented a signed and sealed proclamation from Mayor John Wagner of Juniata Terrace, thanking the sponsors for their

See Bond/ Page 11

Bond

Continued from Page 10

continuing dedication for their care of Juniata Terrace’s fnest. In part, it stated, “The families, the Juniata Terrace Borough Council and Mayor and residents express our sincere gratitude to you, the Sponsor.” This relationship continued during the 100th Anniversary celebration of the building of Juniata Terrace on Aug. 16, 2025. Descendants of the men on the monument and borough offcials gathered to pay their respects for those who gave their lives. Continuing the circle of this 80-year special bond, Hedwig Darley of the Netherlands sent an attractive arrangement of fowers to honor these men, and for the commemoration of the 100 years of Juniata Terrace.

Local WWII Carrier Pilot lost life attacking Honshu, Japan

BY CHRIS MOYER

Stories Behind the Stars Special to the Lewistown Sentinel

OTSU, Japan — William Boyd Hall was born on Nov. 1, 1921 in Burnham to Keystone State natives Ralph Newton and Bessie May Hall. He had one younger sister, Sarah Jane. Their father supported the household employed as a foundry coremaker and, later, in the grocery business. Their mother was a homemaker.

Hall’s entire upbringing occurred in Burnham. He attended four years of high school. Hall registered for the draft in Lewistown on Feb. 16, 1942. He worked for C. I. McCardle in Lewistown. Hall enlisted in the Navy Reserve in Philadelphia on Sept. 26, 1942. He

was selected for aviation training and completed pre-fight school as an Aviation Cadet at Chapel Hill, North Carolina. In August 1943, Hall transferred for additional training to Naval Air Station Olathe, Kansas. In November 1943, he received further training at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida and Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas. Hall qualifed as a Naval Reserve Ensign and a pilot of heavier-than-air aircraft on May 1, 1944.

Hall was assigned to Fighter Squadron 31 (VF-31) in the Third Fleet where he piloted the F6F-5 Hellcat. The squadron was the highest scoring light carrier squadron and had the highest kill ratio per pilot of any squadron in the Navy. Hall and his air group were deployed to the Pacifc Theater

See Pilot/ Page 13

Pilot

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of Operations and were taken aboard the light carrier USS Belleau Wood (CVL-24) on June 16, 1945 at Leyte, Philippines.

Belleau Wood was commissioned on March 31, 1943, arrived at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on July 26, 1943, and earned 12 battle stars for her service during World War II. The carrier saw extensive action in the Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaigns, the Mariana and

Palau Islands campaign, the Philippines campaign, and the Battle of Leyte Gulf. She lost 92 of her crew in a Kamikaze attack on Oct. 30, 1944. In 1945, Belleau Wood supported the invasion of Iwo Jima and operations against the Japanese Home Islands.

Fighter Squadron 31’s missions during the last two months of the war were against targets in Japan’s Home Islands. On July 24, 1945, Hall piloted his Hellcat to attack an enemy airfeld near the entrance of Nagoya Bay. Since the target already was under attack by other squadrons,

Hall’s group targeted a seaplane station at Otsu, Honshu, Japan.

Hall was killed in action on July 24, 1945 near Otsu, Japan when the fghter he was piloting crashed and exploded during a combat mission against a seaplane station. His remains were not recoverable. Hall is memorialized on the Tablets of the Missing, Honolulu Memorial, Honolulu, Hawaii. A cenotaph was placed in his honor at Mount Rock Cemetery in Lewistown. Hall posthumously received the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.

Stories Behind the Stars memorials are accessible for free on the internet and via smart phone app at gravesites and cenotaphs. The non-proft organization is dedicated to honoring all 421,000 fallen Americans from World War II, including 31,000 from Pennsylvania. To volunteer or for more information, contact Kathy Harmon at kharmon@storiesbehindthestars.org or visit www.storiesbehindthestars.org.

Honor, Glory, Sacrifice

Local tank combatant killed during WWII’s Battle of the Bulge

BY CHRIS MOYER Stories Behind the Stars Special to

the Lewistown Sentinel

[Editor’s Note: This article was previously published in the Jan. 6, 2026 edition of The Sentinel].

LEWISTOWN — Technician Fourth Grade Kenneth Notestine operated M5 Stuart tanks during the amphibious invasion of French Morocco in December 1942. He survived the ferocious fghting during the assault of Sicily. His 66th Armored Regiment landed at Normandy on June 9, 1944 and defeated the Germans’ 6th Parachute and 37th SS Panzer Regiments near Carentan, France. Notestine pursued the Nazis across France to the

German border, where his regiment was diverted to Belgium to counter the enemy’s advance during the Battle of the Bulge. His unit assisted in the destruction of the 2nd Panzer Division and in the liberation of Belgium. Notestine gave his last full measure of devotion in the Battle of the Bulge.

Kenneth Albert Notestine was born on March 15, 1919 in Granville Township, Miffin County to Robert Smith and Prudence May Snyder Notestine, who were natives of the state. His parents tended the family’s farm outside of Lewistown. Notestine was the youngest child of the family’s seven children, which included Robert Sr, Daniel, John, Ruth, Howard and Harold. Notestine graduated from high school and became employed as a machinist by the Lycoming Aviation Manu-

facturing Corporation in Williamsport. He registered for the draft in Lewistown on Oct. 30, 1940. His brothers, Harold and Howard, were employed by the local rayon mill. Sister Ruth was working as a clerk for a chicken hatchery.

Notestine enlisted in the Army in Harrisburg on May 29, 1942. After his completion of stateside training, he was deployed to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations and was assigned to Company A, 66th Armored Regiment, 2nd Armored Division, 9th Army. The unit previously was designated the 66th Infantry (Light Tanks) until July 15, 1940.

Notestine was killed in action on Jan. 8, 1945 in Belgium during a combat operation in the Battle of the Bulge. His body was recovered and re-

patriated to the United States. Notestine’s funeral was held at Fretz Funeral Home in Lewistown. He was laid to rest on Nov. 10, 1947 at Mount Rock Cemetery in Lewistown. Notestine posthumously received the Purple Heart.

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Stories Behind the Stars memorials are accessible for free on the internet and via smart phone app at gravesites and cenotaphs. The non-proft organization is dedicated to honoring all 421,000 fallen Americans from World War II, including 31,000 from Pennsylvania. To volunteer or for more information, contact Kathy Harmon at kharmon@storiesbehindthestars.org or visit www.storiesbehindthestars.org.

Honor, Glory, Sacrifice

Honor, Glory, Sacrifice

J.R

Above right: Avery Carlin, of Arlington, Va., rests by the headstone of her uncle U.S. Army Cpl. Michael Avery Pursel as she visits Section 60 at Arlington National Cemetery with her family on Memorial Day, Monday, May 29, 2023, in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/ Alex Brandon)

Below: A member of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment also known as The Old Guard places fags in front of each headstone for “Flags-In” at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Thursday, May 25, 2023, to honor the Nation’s fallen military heroes ahead of Memorial Day. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Veterans of Foreign Wars Memorial Post 7011,

Lewistown