OLYPHANT - As a member of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery, John J. Morelli made it his sacred duty to preserve and honor the memory of the soldiers who gave their lives for the nation.
On Friday, his hometown of Olyphant ensured Mr. Morelli will be remembered, too.
In a blend of celebration and solemnity that his widow, Jeannine, said her husband would have relished, Mr. Morelli was honored with a historical marker in the heart of the downtown to recognize his 9½ years as sergeant of the guard at the tomb, the longest such tenure in the Army's history.
Mrs. Morelli, who traveled from her home near Akron, Ohio, for the unveiling, told a crowd that included townspeople, dignitaries and family members from across the country that it was appropriate the marker was being dedicated on Flag Day.
"John really loved the town of Olyphant, ⦠but John also loved pomp and ceremony," she said of her husband, who died in 1996. "I know he is looking down smiling today."
Born in Olyphant in 1918, Mr. Morelli joined the Army in 1940. Between 1942 and 1958, he served three separate stints as sergeant of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns. Tomb guard is one of the most elite assignments in the American military.
He saw combat while serving in the Korean War in 1951-52, earning a Bronze Star for bravery. He retired from the Army in 1965.
The marker, with gold lettering on a blue background, stands outside 419 Lackawanna Ave., where Mr. Morelli's father operated a shoemaker shop. Mr. Morelli bought the building after his father's death, and he and his family would spend summers and weekends there, his wife said.
With the help of her son-in-law, Rick Bond, Mrs. Morelli lifted a black drape from the marker.
"Oh, isn't that beautiful?" she said, clutching her hands over her heart as the crowd applauded.
In brief remarks, county President Judge Thomas Munley talked about the bond people from the Lackawanna Valley have with their home. When he shipped out for Vietnam in 1969 and later when he finished law school and had a chance to go elsewhere, he knew where his future lay, he said.
"I always knew my whole life that no matter what happened, I was coming back to Lackawanna County," he said. "Everybody here - everybody here - we're like brothers and sisters. We care about each other."
Calling Mr. Morelli a "hero of our country," Judge Munley said all veterans need to be remembered.
"Be proud of who you are," he said. "Be proud of being a veteran and, if you're not a veteran, be proud of the veteran in your family. ⦠Don't ever forget the veterans."
Contact the writer: dsingleton@timesshamrock.com