I'm sure you've all seen the small, grassy area between Route 611 and Gallows Run, where many small flags surround a tall one that flies over a beautiful magnolia tree across from the Ferndale Inn. The man who owned our home before us, Colman Balogh, put that flagpole up and helped American Legion Post 399 in Ottsville maintain the area as a memorial to American war veterans.

Many of you probably knew Colman. We never had the honor, but you kind of get to know someone when you take over their home, through all the little things they leave behind. We have come to know him as a man who loved his home and his country, and half a century ago left his youth across the ocean, where he fought for the principles that make it great. This is our small way of saying thanks and helping others remember his courage and sacrifice, and that of the other veterans from our community.

Shelly and I feel that Colman’s actions, and those of all veterans who were equally selfless and humble, deserve a measure of public recognition and gratitude. We hope that in this park, our residents will always have a quiet place to sit and reflect upon what was given up by so many unsung heroes, that we might all enjoy a peaceful, abundant standard of living still unequalled in the world.