Veteran's Day ceremony set at depot

The Annual Chambersburg Area Veteran's Day Service, sponsored by the United Churches of the Chambersburg Area and the Joint Veterans' Council of the Chambersburg Area, will be held this coming Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m. at the Letterkenny Chapel on the Letterkenny Army Depot.

A special feature of this year's service will be the dedication of a Memorial Window and the dedication of the Carillon, now being preserved and upgraded, in honor of the late Dr. Jeffrey Lynn Roth.

Speakers will include the Rev. William DeHass, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Greencastle and the Rev. Dr. William H. Harter, pastor of the Falling Spring Presbyterian Church in Chambersburg. They will address the importance of remembering our veterans and also share memories of Dr. Roth as co-worker and friend. Members of Dr. Roth's family are also expected to participate in this time of remembrance.

Dr. Jeff Roth, who died in February, 2006, was the beloved pastor of St. John's United Church of Christ. From the moment the Chapel was made available to the public in 1995, Dr. Roth determined that this historic structure, built by Italian prisoners of war at the end of WW II, should be incorporated into the mission and ministry of the United Churches. With indefatigable energy and inspiring vision, he mobilized support among the clergy, veterans' groups, and the wider community. He was the guiding force behind the inception and realization of this important project.

The Chapel, an architectural gem, is the only chapel of its kind on any United States base at home or overseas. It is already the location for a number of worship services each year, and provides worship space for New Believers' Fellowship which meets there every Sunday morning.

Special music for the service will be provided by Joan Sachs on the organ. Charles Nitterhouse Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1599 will present the colors and hold a concluding service at the end. Community clergy and lay readers from St. John's UCC will participate, and Gary Patterson of St. John's will play the bagpipes.

For further information, contact the Rev. Dr. William H. Harter at 717-264-5715.