New Veterans Plaque Unveiled at Township Building

Bensalem officials, boys scouts and military veterans gathered under a darkening, stormy sky Thursday evening to officially rededicate the township's administration building to Bucks County veterans and unveil a new plaque that will serve as a permanent reminder of their sacrifice.

"Honoring our veterans is a very important priority for Bensalem," said Mayor Joe DiGirolamo. "There are more than 60,000 veterans in Bucks County, and want them all to feel represented and remembered here."

The new plaque, featuring the names off all Bucks County armed service members that had been killed in action from June 1950 and March 2012, has been placed in a brand new plaza next to a second plaque that had been dedicated in 1992 when the building first opened. The older plaque has been recast in bronze as part of the year-long project.

"We invite veterans and their families to come here with some paper and get rubbings of the plaque," said DiGirolamo.

DiGirolamo credited the volunteer work of Boy Scout Troop 132. The scouts volunteer their time at the Central Park snack stand during concerts at the TD Bank Amphitheater and other events. All proceeds from the stand help fund special projects like the new veterans plaza and the clock tower that sits in front of the municipal building.

"The volunteers work very hard and put in a lot of hours of community service," said Billie Jo Miraski, president of the Friends of Bensalem Central Park. "The fall festival alone is a 16-hour day for them. It took about 12 months to raise the money for this."

The work by the Bensalem Veterans Advisory Board, chaired by Robert Craven, and the Bucks County Department of Veterans Affairs to research and have each name properly listed was also recognized at the ceremony.

"The people we honor with this plaque gave their lives for our liberty," said Ed Kisselback, chair of the Bensalem Township Council and Navy veteran. "They believe in the ideals of America and want to share that with their children and grandchildren."