Quilt of Valor recipients, from left: Salvatore Alaimo, Russell Canevari, James Gallagher, Andrew Victor and Scott Gross.
Submitted Photo
PLAINS TWP. — Five members of the United States military were recently honored by the Northeast PA Quilts of Valor at an outdoor ceremony held at the Plains Township Municipal Park’s Pavilion.
Family and friends recently joined with the members of the NEPA Quilts of Valor in recognizing the five veterans for their courage, dedication and service to their country.
Becky Orloski, NEPA Quilts of Valor leader, noted that the quilts, made by chapter members, are an expression of gratitude to thank, heal and comfort veterans.
Honored were:
• Salvatore Alaimo, Pittston, enlisted in the U.S. Marines in 1944. Soon after completion of basic training at Parris Island, South Carolina, he was sent to Pearl Harbor, HI, where he took part in various duties serving his country as WWII continued.
He was assigned as a clerk and traveled throughout Alaska, Guam, Japan and China.
He was honorably discharged in 1948.
Soon after, he was called to serve in the Korean War and remained serving his country through 1951.
At age 97, he continues his active membership with the AMVETS formed by veterans of WWII and continued to serve in their Honor Guard until 2023.
• Russell Canevari, Jessup, joined the U.S. Army in 1968, followed by basic training at Fort Dix, New Jersey, and artillery training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.
He was later deployed to Vietnam, where he served with the U.S. Army’s C Battery, 8th Battalion, 4th Artillery. He completed his service in Korea with the 8th Army.
He was honorably discharged in 1970.
• James Gallagher, Wilkes-Barre Township, joined the U.S. Navy in 1965, completing boot camp at Great Lakes Naval Base and later assigned to Norfolk, Virginia, for communications training.
His assignments took him to Naval Air Station Keflavik, Iceland, and upon the USS Shangri-LA, he traveled through the Mediterranean.
He was honorably discharged in 1968.
• Andrew Victor, West Wyoming, enlisted in the Coast Guard in 1976. Following boot camp, he participated in several months of cooking and culinary administrative classes at the U.S. Coast Guard Training Center, Petaluma, California.
Assigned to North Carolina’s Coast Guard base, he daily cooked for more than 1,500 Coast Guard members. He continued his service in Kodiak, Alaska, stationed aboard a Coast Guard cutter sailing the Bering Sea.
He served his country for 10 years and was honorably discharged in 1986.
• Scott Gross, Center Valley, enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1969, completing basic training at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. He trained as a jet engine technician at Chanute Air Force Base, Illinois, followed by serving with the Strategic Air Command in Plattsburgh, New York.
After completing active duty in 1973, he remained a member of both the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army Reserves, deployed to the Middle East serving in Desert Storm in 1990.
He retired in 2002 after 33 years of military service.
For more information, e-mail nepaqov@gmail.com or visit the chapter’s Facebook page at Northeast PA Quilts of Valor.
Reach Bill O’Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.
