Memorial Day in Bradford '08

May 26, 2008

Jeffery Craig of Shinglehouse and Donna Sloan of Eldred look at medals posthumously awarded to their son US Army Staff Sergeant Heathe Craig, who died June 21, 2006, in Afghanistan. The medals were presented during services Monday morning in Veterans Square.

By ANNE HOLLIDAY
WESB/WBRR News Director
Bradford's Memorial Day observance was made even more poignant this year as the community honored two servicemen who died recently in Iraq and showed their support for local soldiers who will be going to Iraq later this year.

Master Sergeant Thomas Maholic of Bradford and Staff Sergeant Heathe Craig of Knapp Creek, New York, were among the fallen servicemen honored during this morning's Memorial Day services in Veterans Square.

Craig died June 21, 2006, in Afghanistan when his UH-60 helicopter hoist malfunctioned while attempting to evacuate a fellow soldier during combat operations.
His parents Jeffrey Craig of Shinglehouse and Donna Sloan of Eldred accepted honors on his behalf.

Following the services a marker bearing Maholic's name was unveiled by his family members and Mayor Tom Riel.
Maholic died in Afghanistan in June of 2006, when he was fatally struck by enemy small arms fire during a cordon and search mission.

During the parade, members of the 112th Infantry, 1st Battalion, Charlie Company of the Bradford Armory were honored. The soldiers are to be mobilized in September for deployment to Iraq. Before his reading of "General Logan's Order of the Day," Sergeant Steve Jones of Charlie Company thanked everyone for their support, thoughts and prayers.

Police and fire departments from Bradford, Bradford, Foster and Corydon townships, Rew, Hilltop, Lewis Run, Derrick City and Pitt-Bradford also had units in the parade, as did the McKean County Sheriff's Department. A crowd favorite was Bradford's new Emergency Response Team truck.

But the biggest cheers were set aside for Charlie Company, who followed the Patriot Guard Riders and Wanderers Motorcycle Club. Members of Charlie Company stopped on Main Street in front of Veterans Square and saluted the monument to Bradford's fallen soldiers.