Published Thursday, April 8, 1999 Used as a window stop for years in Mrs. Brenneman's Mercer home, the wooden sign bears the name of her late husband, Joseph, and other Mercer-area World War II veterans.The plaque was salvaged in 1957 when the old bank at North Diamond and Erie streets was torn down to make way for a Northwest Pennsylvania Bank branch. The building now is the Mercer branch of Mellon Bank.Mrs. Brenneman said her husband pulled the plaque from a pile of wood that was once a World War II memorial, apparently destroyed to build the bank.After the old monument was destroyed, the local American Legion had another memorial built at Mercer Citizens Cemetery. Over time, many people forgot what happened to the old wooden monument and a generation grew up with no memory of it.The wood plaque wasn't all that turned up at a gathering at Mrs. Marks' home to discuss the missing memorial. A number of letters, photos and newspaper clippings documenting the memorial also surfaced.
Mrs. Marks put out the call for monument material at the request of a dying friend. The ailing National Guard veteran asked Mrs. Marks to try to create a replica of the monument.
Mrs. Marks said she will turn over copies of the information to the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4365 and American Legion Post 159, both of Mercer.
Working separately, the two veterans groups have been planning a World War II monument. Frank Reeher, VFW adjutant, said the federal government had been unwilling to provide them with names of Mercer residents who served in World War II.
Although he thought the war monument should be in the hands of veterans, Reeher thanked Mrs. Marks for the wake up call.
Mercer County Commissioner Cloyd E. "Gene" Brenneman -- no relation to Mrs. Brenneman -- said he will propose to fellow county commissioners that county funds be contributed to the monument project. The county has accumulated a fund of about $70,000 from the sale of unused properties, he said.
