York Township to update its veteran honor roll

YORK TWP. — York Township is looking to recognize service members who were residents of the township at the time of their service as part of its veteran honor roll. Town Hall Coordinator Theresa Forlini-Petrey said a list of names of township veterans is in town hall. The township is looking to update the list and make it more visible as a sign of respect. "Nobody really sees it in the town hall unless they're voting," she said. "We have decided to come up with a project to bring it outside in the park near the Gold Star Memorial, so these men and women can be honored, and families can see their loved ones' names." A company is working to design the sign, and Forlini-Petrey is currently accepting applications for veterans who are not on the current honor roll. Those who are on the current sign will be grandfathered in. "It's someone who served in a war while living in York Township, not just veterans or people who served in a war who now live here," Township Administrator Kevin Comes said. "We are having a process where it has to be certified." An application can be found on the township's website at yorktwp.org/veterans. Forlini-Petrey can also be contacted at (330) 722-0185 ext. 3 or by email at tm4petrey@yorktwp.org for more information. "If you have the DD214 form at home, you can submit that to me," Forlini-Petrey said. "An SF180 form, they can submit that to the National Archive records. It takes them a couple weeks, sometimes a little bit longer, depending on the situation, and they can submit that to me." The deadline with the sign company is June 12, but the program will continue past that. Comes said once a year, the township can go back and add names that have been verified in the meantime. "We're never done," he said. "We see this as for the next generation. Even if we're gone from here, the next crew will be able to take it over, and it'll be good for however many years after us." The sign is intended to complement the Gold Star Memorial on state Route 252, Comes said. The goal is to have the sign and benches placed there by Veterans Day. "Bringing it outside, we can make sure that everyone is truly given that honor and respect that they deserve and earned," township administrative Assistant Kristy McElroy said. Comes said York Township is proud to recognize its veterans. "I think it's important that every service member is honored one way or another," Forlini-Petrey said. "A lot of them gave their lives for this country." Contact reporter Madisyn Woodring at (330) 721-4049 or mwoodring@medina-gazette.com.