Northeast Regional Council of Carpenters Members Help to Construct Vietnam Traveling Wall

PENNDEL, Pa., July 13, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Northeast Regional Council of Carpenters (NRCC) helped to construct the Vietnam Traveling Wall, which is on display from July 13-July 16 at Penndel Memorial Field in Penndel, PA. The wall, which is three-fifths of the scale of the original Vietnam Memorial in Washington DC, is six feet tall and 300 feet wide. Members of NRCC Locals 158 and 167 helped to assemble the wall and 13 benches for memorial visitors.

Memorial organizers sought the help of local organizations like NRCC to help volunteer on the project and Local 158 and 167 members stepped up with manpower and carpentry materials. Michael Morrow, Council Representative of Local 167 and facilitator of the project, knows that this wall is an integral part of our nation's history and is proud to have been a part of the construction.

"It is a good thing to see here at the Penndel Memorial Field," said Morrow. "Giving back to our community by having the guys provide their expertise to an important project like this is what our Brotherhood is about."

This isn't the first time that the NRCC has been involved in a project to honor U.S. service members who served in the Vietnam War. In the spring of 2010, NRCC members helped to construct the replica of the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Wildwood, New Jersey. The permanent monument, which is one-third of the size of the official Memorial in Washington D.C., is constructed of reinforced concrete and laminated with black granite panels. It displays the names of more than 58,000 service members killed in the Vietnam War.

"The Vietnam Memorial Wall holds a special place in my heart, as one of the names on the wall is my father's, Army 1^st Lieutenant William C. Sproule, Jr., who was killed in action in the Central Highlands of South Vietnam, while conducting combat operations as a platoon leader with the 173^rd Airborne Brigade on May 10, 1968," said Bill Sproule, NRCC's President and New Jersey Regional Manager. "We must never underestimate the positive energy we give back to our communities, while working on these projects regardless of size or scope.  Most importantly, let us not forget those in our country's armed forces who paid the ultimate sacrifice defending our freedom."

Twenty-three members of Locals 158 and 167 Carpenter Class 3B who provided their expertise in carpentry included:

• Brian O'Donnell (Local 158)
• Eric Penko (Local 167)
• Shem Stewart (Local 167)
• Christopher Tippie (Local 158)
• Matthew Walsh (Local 164)
• Daniel Bagnell (Local 167)
• Kevin Bamberski (Local 158)
• Shane Barrett (Local 158)
• Stephen Bermudez (Local 158)
• Theodore Brophy (Local 167)
• Cory Cassie (Local 173)
• Joseph Crowding (Local 158)
• Dennis Custer (Local 167)
• Anthony Dandrea (Local 158)
• Timothy Deskins (Local 167)
• Patrick Galen (Local 164)
• Joseph Hoefler (Local 167)
• Nicholas Hornak (Local 167)
• Sean Hunter (Local 167)
• Matthew Keller (Local 167)
• Christopher Kempf (Local 158)
• Alex Masciantonio (Local 164)
• Prentiss Newbill (Local 158)

About the NRCC:

The Northeast Regional Council of Carpenters (NRCC) represents nearly 40,000 hardworking men and women in Delaware and New Jersey and portions of Maryland, New York, and Pennsylvania. NRCC is one of the largest trade unions on the East Coast. The NRCC equips professional men and women carpenters with the skills, training and quality workmanship that are demanded in today's construction industry. For more information on NRCC, please visit our website: www.northeastcarpenters.org; Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NortheastRegionalCouncilofCarpenters; or Twitter: https://twitter.com/nrccarpenters.

SOURCE Northeast Regional Council of Carpenters (NRCC)

Related Links

http://www.northeastcarpenters.org