“As the battle raged on, he repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire to care for the wounded, pull them out of the line of fire, and return fire whenever he could, during which time, he was wounded three times,” a fundraising brochure said in quoting the Pitsenbarger Medal of Honor citation. “Despite his wounds, he valiantly fought on, simultaneously treating as many wounded as possible. In the vicious fighting which followed, the American forces suffered 80 percent casualties as their perimeter was breached, and Airman Pitsenbarger was finally fatally wounded.”
The county commissioners were approached about a possible contribution by the committee that has been working on raising funds for the memorial, said Michael Clarey, county commissioners’ administrator.
“The project is definitely on its way and any additional contributions will add to it,” said Cheryl Buecker of Piqua, a committee member. The committee has given Nickol Monument a deposit and the granite has been ordered for the monument, she said.
Materials related to the effort say a monument will be erected to SSgt. Pitsenbarger with sidewalks leading to the monument; pavers directing people to the gravesite; granite benches on both sides of the monument on a cement foundation; and enhanced memorial landscaping. The brochure lists the goal as $57,000.
The county commission approved the one-time contribution in July to Miami Memorial Park from the county’s America Rescue Plan Act or, ARPA, funding.
Members of the public who are interested in donating to the project can do so at the GoFundMe page for the Pitsenbarger Memorial, organized by Lora Aleo.
Contact this contributing writer at nancykburr@aol.com
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