HARRISBURG – Sen. Dan Laughlin (R-49) will be joined by retired Major Joe Pfadt, founder of “Warriors to Washington,” to present three Pennsylvania Veterans Service Award medals during a 4 p.m. ceremony on Friday, Sept. 15 at Presque Isle Downs & Casino, 8199 Perry Highway, Erie, PA.
The Pennsylvania Veterans Service Award is awarded to civilians, members of the Pennsylvania National Guard and members of other foreign or domestic active or reserve military components of the armed forces for meritorious support of Pennsylvania veterans.
The three individuals who will be receiving the award are all volunteer officers of the nonprofit “Warriors to Washington” organization:
- Retired Lieutenant Colonel Gregory Henning, who serves as vice-president
- Retired Captain John Boyko, who serves as treasurer
- Retired Air Force Master Sergeant Andrew Smith, who serves as secretary
The Pennsylvania Veterans Service Award is a bronze medal that features Abraham Lincoln on a wheat wreath below the words, “FOR HIM WHO SHALL HAVE BORNE THE BATTLE,” and has a ribbon with gold, blue and black stripes.
The medal presentation will take place prior to the departure of this year’s “Warriors to Washington” trip from the parking lot of Presque Isle Downs & Casino.
The nonprofit “Warriors to Washington” organization conducts an annual trip to Washington, DC, taking local veterans to historical and national sites in the nation’s capital. The group also conducts an annual flag-raising ceremony at Presque Isle State Park, hosts a Memorial Day reception and partners with another veterans group for an annual 5K run/walk for local veterans’ causes.
CONTACT: David Kozak