War Memorial

The new War Memorial Hospital on Fairview Drive will open to the public Saturday, hospital officials said Monday. Despite the drizzling rain and cold temperature, more than 250 people - many in winter coats - attended Monday's dedication ceremony for the new hospital. A tour of the new building followed the ceremony, which was held under a tent in front of the south entrance.  As part of the dedication ceremony, an American flag that had flown over the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., was raised next to the main entrance by members of the West Virginia Air National Guard's 167th Airlift Wing.

wandaw@herald-mail.com MARTINSBURG, W.VA. - About 300 people attended the Eastern Panhandle Hispanic Advocacy Coalition's first Hispanic Heritage Festival Saturday at War Memorial Park. The new organization was formed to assist members of a growing Hispanic population in the community, coalition member and festival organizer Veronica Hall said. Hall, who is from Argentina, moved to Shepherdstown, W.Va., three years ago and is employed with Nationwide Insurance and Financial Services as a bilingual insurance agent.

marlob@herald-mail.com MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - It wasn't just renewed patriotism that brought people together at War Memorial Park in Martinsburg on Thursday but that was a big part of it, and for some, family, friendship and fun were icing on the cake. "I decided it would be better to be here with friends in the heat than home alone in my air-conditioned apartment," said Alda Haynes. Haynes, 71, who lives at Ambrose Towers, was invited to spend the day at the park with Becky Owens, Becky's boyfriend, Edgar Donivan, and their extended family.

trishr@herald-mail.com MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - For some Americans who have family and friends in the military, it is not the usual Fourth of July celebration - it's personal - but there was a common thread among the people celebrating the day at War Memorial Park in Martinsburg. They spoke of "freedom. " Belinda Lewis was celebrating Independence Day with some family members on Monday. Lewis said her 22-year-old son, Lance Cpl. Trenton Lewis, is a weapons specialist in the U.S. Marine Corps.

BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va. - Another discussion concerning War Memorial Hospital is set for Friday at 3 p.m. at the Morgan County Commission office. Members of the Morgan County Commission discussed the future of the Berkeley Springs hospital with officials from WVU Hospitals-East during the last commission meeting, but no proposals have been initiated by WVU Hospitals-East, said Teresa McCabe, vice president of marketing and development for the group. Commissioner Bob Ford said the commissioners initiated the March 10 meeting.

HANCOCK - When Robert C. McCusker looks at the Hancock War Memorial he sees the McCusker family name under each war listed. There's his late son Robert and his brother Harry, who served during Vietnam; his nephew Danny, who served during the Gulf War; his father William and uncle Harry, who served during World War I, and cousins and ancestors who served. Robert C. McCusker served with the Army for two years during World War II in France and Czechoslovakia. He was an assistant driver of a medium tank who also fired the mounted machine gun, he said.

HAGERSTOWN -- Anyone who spotted Gen. Robert E. Lee mounted on his horse, Traveller, didn't see ghosts Thursday on Prospect Street, but re-enactors filming the first in a series of films depicting the Army of Northern Virginia's retreat from Gettysburg, Pa. Making historical films is "a great way to preserve history and keep it alive," said Al Stone, who portrayed Lee on Thursday. Executive producer Russell Richards described the project as the first in a 10-part series about the Gettysburg withdrawal.

The day was August 13, 1945. A Japanese kamikaze plane was heading directly for the deck of the U.S.S. Bon Homme Richard, an American aircraft carrier stationed in the South Pacific. cont. from front page Gunfire erupted and the kamikaze was shot down before it could crash into the ship. This is only one of many stories that former seaman 1st class Bill Kearns, 77, describes in his museum on 232 1/2 S. Potomac St. in Hagerstown. The museum's five rooms are decorated with framed photographs of the Bon Homme Richard and other World War II memorabilia, including newspaper clippings from the attack on Pearl Harbor.

War Memorial Hospital will offer the American Heart Association's CPR for Healthcare Providers Course from noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 13, and Tuesday, Sept. 27, at the hospital. This course is designed for licensed healthcare providers who need to obtain or renew their CPR certification. The cost is $50. Advance registration is required. To register, call Deb Unger at 304-258-6525.