Westfall Township near Matamoras in Pike County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Memorial

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), August 25, 2023

1. Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Memorial Marker

Inscription.
Dedicated to the memory of those brave members of the Pennsylvania State Police, the first uniformed state police agency in the nation, who made the ultimate sacrifice by laying down their lives in performance of their duties while protecting the citizens of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Beyond all earthly sight, forever remembered here and in the hearts of those who continue their legacy.

Private John F. Henry, Sept. 2, 1906 • Private John Garsica, Feb. 21, 1909 • Private Andrew Czap, Apr. 28, 1918 • Private William J. Omlor, Oct. 25, 1923 • Private Bertram Beech, Dec. 10, 1925 • Sergeant John M. Thomas, May 8, 1927 • Patrolman Andrew W. Miller, Apr. 1, 1928 • Corporal Brady G. Paul, Dec. 27, 1929 • Patrolman Thomas B. Elder, Mar. 22, 1931 • Patrolman Charles E. Householder, Aug. 20, 1933 • Corporal Joseph L Fulton, June 4, 1936 • Private Joseph A. Hoffer, Apr. 27, 1937 • Private Charles H. Craven, Oct. 11, 1938 • Private Thomas P. Carey, June 17, 1941 • Private Joseph F. McMillen, May 13, 1956 • Trooper Stephen R. Gyruke, Aug. 24, 1958 • Trooper Richard G. Barnhart, Aug. 8,

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1964 • Trooper Bruce C. Rankin, Apr. 25, 1973 • Trooper Wayne C. Ebert, June 7, 1978 • Trooper William R. Evans, Jan. 6, 1983 • Trooper Roark H. Ross, May 15, 1986 • Trooper Wayne D. Bilheimer, Apr. 12, 1989 • Trooper Joseph J. Sepp, Jr., Nov. 10, 2002 • Trooper Paul G. Richey, Jan 13, 2010 • Trooper Landon F. Weaver, Dec. 30, 2016 • Trooper Donald C. Brackett, May 18, 2019 • Trooper Martin F. Mack III, Mar. 21, 2022

Private Francis A. Zehringer, Sept. 2, 1906 • Private John L. Williams, Aug 22, 1909 • Private John F. Dargus, May 31, 1918 • Private Francis L. Haley, Oct. 14, 1924 • Private Claude F. Keesey, Jan. 4, 1927 • Private John Downey, Aug. 22, 1927 • Patrolman Jay F. Proof, Aug. 29, 1928 • Corporal Thomas E. Lawry, Jan. 31, 1930 • Sergeant Timothy G. McCarthy, May 12, 1931 • Patrolman Herbert P. Brantlinger, Sept. 3, 1933 • Sergeant Joe B. Champion, July 15, 1936 • Private John J. Broski, Aug. 14, 1937 • Corporal George D. Naughton, Jan. 30, 1939 • Private Dean M. Zeigler, Oct. 17, 1942 • Trooper Philip G. Melley, Nov. 3, 1957 • Trooper Francis M. Tessitore, Aug 5, 1960 •

Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Memorial image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), August 25, 2023

2. Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Memorial

Trooper Gary R. Rosenberger, Dec. 12, 1970 • Trooper Ross E. Snowden, Jan. 17 1974 • Trooper Albert J. Izzo, June 13, 1979 • Trooper Frank J. Bowen, Oct. 26, 1983 • Trooper Clinton W. Crawford, Aug. 17, 1987 • Sergeant Arthur L. Hershey, Jan. 3, 1999 • Trooper Brian A. Patterson, Feb. 14, 2003 • Trooper Blake T. Coble, Oct. 3, 2012 • Trooper Michael R. Stewart, July 14, 2017 • Trooper Monty R. Mitchell, Feb. 8, 2021

State Police, 1922 - 1937 • State Highway Patrol, 1923 - 1930 • State Highway Patrol, 1930 - 1937

Highway Patrol, 1937 • Pennsylvania Motor Police, 1938 - 1948 • Pennsylvania State Police, 1943 - 1987

Private Tomithy Kelleher, Sept. 14, 1907 • Private Jack Curtis Smith, Aug. 23, 1909 • Private Stanley W. Christ, Dec. 1, 1919 • Sergeant Edwin F. Haas, Oct 17, 1924 • Patrolman Martin Aloysius Hanahoe, Feb. 27, 1927 • Corporal Vincent A. Hassen, Dec. 27, 1927 • Patrolman Russell T. Swanson, Apr. 19, 1929 • Patrolman Arthur A. Koppenhaver, July 13, 1930 • Patrolman Orville A. Mohring, Dec. 11, 1931 • First Sergeant James A. Seerey, Sept. 10, 1934 • Patrolman J. Lee Clarke,

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), August 25, 2023

3. Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Memorial

Mar 1, 1937 • Patrolman John D. Simonson, Dec. 1, 1937 • Private Frederick J. Sutton, Jan. 3, 1940 • Private John A. Ditkosky, July 24, 1950 • Trooper Charles S. Stanski, Jan. 17, 1958 • Trooper Anthony Beasch, Oct. 3, 1961 • Corporal John S. Valent, Dec. 9, 1971 • Corporal Leo M. Koscelnick, Aug. 15, 1977 • Trooper David D. Monahan, Apr. 17, 1980 • Trooper Gary W. Fisher, Feb. 3, 1985 • Trooper John A. Andrulewicz, May 9, 1988 • Trooper Matthew R. Bond, Jan 14, 2000 • Corporal Joseph R. Pokorny, Jr., Dec. 12, 2005 • Corporal Bryon K. Dickson II, Sept. 12, 2014 • Trooper Thomas M. Kobeski, Jr., May 3, 2002 • Trooper Dung X. Martinez, Oct. 21, 2021

Sergeant Mark A. Prynn, Feb. 9, 1909 • Private Robert V. Myers, Mar. 28, 1913 • Corporal Ben E. McEvoy, Sept. 20, 1923 • Private Bernard S.C. McElroy, Dec. 21, 1924 • Private Thomas Edward Lipka, Apr. 3, 1927 • Private Sharon C. Wible, Feb. 6, 1928 • Patrolman Wells C. Hammond, Oct. 14, 1929 • Private Charles L. Stewart, July 18, 1930 • Patrolman Joseph A. Conrad, Sept. 6, 1932 • Private Floyd W. Maderia, Dec. 11, 1934 • Private John E.

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), August 25, 2023

4. Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Memorial

Fessler, Apr. 23, 1937 • Private Joseph M. Williams, Oct. 8, 1938 • Private George J. Yashur, Apr. 1, 1940 • Private Floyd B. Clouse, May 2, 1953 • Trooper Edward Maciw, May 31, 1958 • Sergeant Robert D. Lapp, Jr., Oct. 16, 1972 • Trooper Joseph J. Welsch, Sept. 13, 1977 • Trooper Herbert Wirfel, Feb 7, 1982 • Trooper John J. Brown, Feb. 14, 1985 • Corporal Paul Almer, Apr. 12, 1989 • Trooper Tod C. Kelly, Nov 2, 2001 • Trooper Joshua D. Miller, June 7, 2009 • Trooper David Kedra, Sept. 30, 2014 • Sergeant John C. LaRose, July 1, 2013 • Trooper Branden T. Sisca, Mar 21, 2022

Erected 2011 by Pennsylvania State Troopers Association.

Topics. This historical marker and memorial is listed in this topic list: Law Enforcement. A significant historical date for this entry is May 8, 1927.

Location. 41° 21.538′ N, 74° 42.598′ W. Marker is near Matamoras, Pennsylvania, in Pike County. It is in Westfall Township. It is on Mountain Avenue 0.2 miles east of Pennsylvania Avenue (U.S. 209), on the left when traveling east. The memorial stands on the grounds of the Pennsylvania Welcome Center. Touch for map. Marker is at or

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near this postal address: 1060 Pennsylvania Ave, Matamoras PA 18336, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker and memorial is in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains.

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 Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy

and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Matamoras (approx. half a mile away); The Cold War (approx. 0.8 miles away); World War II (approx. 0.8 miles away); The Forgotten War (approx. 0.8 miles away); The Greatest Generation (approx. 0.8 miles away); Vietnam War (approx. 0.8 miles away); The Great War - WWI (approx. 0.8 miles away); War Memorial (approx. 0.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Matamoras.

Additional commentary.
1. About the memorial
While most law enforcement memorials do not serve as historical markers, this one is an exception. It shares Pennsylvania's State Police's historical significance as the first statewide law enforcement agency in the United States.

— Submitted August 27, 2023, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.

Credits. This page was last revised on December 18, 2023. It was originally submitted on August 27, 2023, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 567 times since then and 74 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on August 27, 2023, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.