Heroes’ Names Etched in Stone
By Patrick Cronin
Hampton Union, Friday, September 12, 2008
[The following article is courtesy of the Hampton Union and Seacoast Online.]
[Scott Yates Photo]
HAMPTON — On the seventh anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, three more names were added to a monument in town dedicated to local servicemen and women who lost their lives fighting the Global War on Terrorism.
U.S. Army Pfc. Juctin R. P. McDaniel, U.S. Navy SEAL Chief Petty Officer Nathan H. Hardy, and U.S. Army Spc. David S. Stelmat joined the names of 31 other New Hampshire natives on the monument for paying the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
“This monument that bears the names of these brave New Hampshire veterans is born from the ashes of Sept. 11, 2001,” said Ralph Fatello, commander of American Legion Post 35.
The monument was unveiled by Post 35 on Sept. 11, 2006, the fifth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
“We wanted to honor these men and women now,” Fatello said. “Not 10, 20 or 50 years from now. We wanted to honor the fallen today.
Nearly 200 people, including family of the fallen and Gov. John Lynch, attended the ceremony.
“These brave men answered the call for duty and sacrificed for us in the hope that we will never again have to stiffer the pain and agony of another Sept. 11,” Lynch said.
“For the people of New Hampshire and our country they are and will be forever our American heroes.”
McDaniel, of Andover, was killed Dec. 17, 2007 at age 19. Hardy, of Durham, was killed Feb. 8, 2008 at age 29, and Stelmat, of Littleton, was killed March 22, 2008 at age 27.
Thursday night’s ceremony featured several guest speakers including Jeffrey Eggers, a Navy SEAL and Iraq war veteran.
Fatello noted last year six names were added to the memorial and this year, that number was cut in half.
“I wish that these three names going on there are the last three names,” he said.