75th Anniversary Of The Korean War - “The Forgotten War”
On June 25, 1950, the quiet dawn on the Korean Peninsula was shattered as more than 135,000 North Korean troops crossed the 38th Parallel (dividing line of North and South Korea) and launched a full-scale invasion of South Korea, starting a war that cost millions of lives and left scars that linger today.
Under the United Nations Command, 16 nations from around the world sent combat troops in support of South Korea, with the United States providing around 90% of military personnel.
On July 27, 1953, a ceasefire was established with the signing of the Korean War Armistice Agreement which allowed for the exchange of prisoners and created a 2.5-mile DMZ along the frontline; the war never officially ended as there was no peace treaty, making the war a frozen conflict.
The Korean War is also known as “The Forgotten War” or “The Unknown War” due to being overshadowed by World War II and Vietnam War, despite the more than 36,000 American lives lost, wounded and missing in action.
Each veteran’s courage contributed to a future in which millions of Koreans live in liberty. We also recognize that their sacrifices secured not only South Korea’s future but also set a lasting example of multinational unity against aggression.
Our veterans homes are honored to serve a total of 119 Korean War Veterans: 25 at Delaware Valley Veterans’ Home; 12 at Gino J. Merli Veterans’ Center; 30 at Hollidaysburg Veterans’ Home; eight at Pennsylvania Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Home, 29 at Southeastern Veterans’ Center, and 15 at Southwestern Veterans’ Center.
74th Wedding Anniversary At Southeastern Veterans’ Center
Clete and Sharlee Steiner, residents of Coates Hall at Southeastern Veterans’ Center (SEVC), celebrated their 74th wedding anniversary on June 20.
Their story begins in 1951. Sharlee, a junior in high school, and Clete, already out of high school, met during a car ride with Sharlee’s cousins and friends while heading to a community function in Wisconsin.
Clete and Sharlee quickly fell in love and got engaged a week before Clete was to report to New Hampshire to serve in the Air Force. While Clete was away from 1951-1955, Sharlee found a job at American Family Insurance, where she became the first woman there to operate an electronic typewriter. Clete became a carpenter and a housebuilder. They once visited a house that Clete built decades after its construction, to discover that all of the fireplaces remained intact.
Clete, Sharlee and their six children moved around a lot but eventually settled in Wisconsin. They also have 13 grandchildren.
Clete moved to SEVC in 2023, Sharlee followed a year later. Sharlee is very artistic and enjoys creating sequin art. She would meticulously glue colored sequins onto paper, to form intricate patterns and detailed images. One of their daughter’s frequently visits to assist her mother with framing her art. She places her creations around her room as well as her floor to brighten things up. While Sharlee and Clete miss Wisconsin and its cheese curds, her art helps to make sure that they are not bored.
Happy 74th Wedding Anniversary!
60th Wedding Anniversary At Hollidaysburg Veterans’ Home
Phillip and Betty Lawrence, residents at Hollidaysburg Veterans’ Home, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on June 26th.
Happy Anniversary, Phillip and Betty!
WWII Veteran’s Love of Music, Country, And Family - Gino J. Merli Veterans’ Center
Eugene “Gene” Passarella, a resident at Gino J. Merli Veterans’ Center (GMVC), was born on Aug. 12, 1925, in Scranton, PA, the second youngest of 12 children from Italian immigrant parents. Growing up amidst the camaraderie of his large family, Passarella developed a love for music. Inspired by his father who played the concertina (a squeeze box smaller than an accordion). Passarella and his brothers formed the “Gene Dempsey Orchestra,” which gained regional recognition.
Drafted into the Army at 18 during WWII, Passarella participated in the Normandy invasion and sustained a leg injury from a sniper in Belgium, receiving a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star for his valor. Discharged in 1945, Passarella returned to Scranton, where he found employment with the U.S. Postal Service and a romantic relationship with a neighbor – Louise Colangelo. They married in 1952 and have been together for 76 years, He still feels butterflies when he speaks of her.
Passarella has dedicated much of his life to music, leading the family orchestra and composing original pieces over the last 70 years. Despite enduring many challenges, including a serious fall and two COVID-19 infections, nothing has slowed him down. Though Passarella can no longer stand, his eyesight is failing and cannot write, he still conducts the orchestra with heart and precision. Gene’s connection with his daughter, two grandsons and extended family remains strong and his spirit continues to inspire everyone around him, asserting, “I had a good life.”
A special performance conducted by Passarella himself, will be held on Aug. 10, 2025, at 2:30 p.m. at Nay Aug Park in Scranton, two days before his 100th birthday.