Hopwood in Fayette County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Scott Patrick Brownfield
Photographed by Bradley Owen, July 25, 2023
1. Scott Patrick Brownfield Marker
By Scott Patrick Brownfield
Scott Brownfield, a senior at Laurel Highlands High School and Fayette Vo-tech, chose to create this memorial in the shape of a service man's dog tag for Samuel D. Shimek, Fayette County's only MIA from the Vietnam War. He arrived at his decision because throughout his life, Scott has been involved with Vietnam Veterans Inc. of Fayette, and when he would visit the memorial in Hopwood, it always struck Scott that as an MIA, Samuel never had a proper burial, and he wanted to do something special in Samuel's memory and for the Shimek family.
In August 2007, Scott presented his idea to the V.V.I. members and the Shimek family. With their approval, the process began with a letter writing campaign to obtain donations and a fundraising dance in October 2007. Response from the community was overwhelming! After only 2 fundraisers he exceeded his goal! Inside the stone base is a time capsule with information and records that Scott collected during the project.
Scott P. Brownfield . . . welded mounting bracket
Custom Stone Work . . . stone base & concrete
Island Mould & Machine Co. . . . engraved dog tag
RC Pewter Works . . . bronze plaque
Vietnam Veterans of Fayette Co. . . . lighting & electric
Erected
this page online
Topics and series. This memorial is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • War, Vietnam. In addition, it is included in the Time Capsules series list. A significant historical date for this entry is May 25, 2008.
Location. 39° 51.756′ N, 79° 42.092′ W. Memorial is in Hopwood, Pennsylvania, in Fayette County. It is on Buttermilk Lane south of Walnut Avenue, on the right when traveling south. Marker is located on the grounds of the General George C. Marshall Amvets Post 103 building. Touch for map. Memorial is at or near this postal address: 123 Buttermilk Lane, Hopwood PA 15445, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this memorial is in Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands. It is also in the American Northeast, in the Mid-Atlantic, in Appalachia, and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France, the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, and one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Fayette County Vietnam Memorial (here, next to this marker); Gold Star Dogwood Tree (a few steps from this marker); Veterans Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); Brownfield Honor Roll (approx. 0.6 miles away); Thomas L. Frankhouser (approx. 0.7 miles away); National Road (approx. 0.7 miles away); Mickey's Park (approx. 0.8 miles away); Hopwood Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Hopwood.
Photographed by Bradley Owen, July 25, 2023
2. Scott Patrick Brownfield Marker
Photographed by Bradley Owen, July 25, 2023
3. Dog Tag on the Memorial
Samuel D.
Nov. 3, 1947 D.O.B.
Dec. 9, 1968 M.I.A.
U.S. Army
Credits. This page was last revised on July 29, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 29, 2023, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. This page has been viewed 181 times since then and 12 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on July 29, 2023, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia.
