The 14th Quartermaster Detachment monument in Hempfield got sorely needed maintenance Saturday.
On Monday, the families of the soldiers to whom it is dedicated got an apology.
The work — and the words — followed Marine veteran Randy Kisner's public outrage at discovering the nearly 25-year-old memorial in what he called “a shambles” just before Memorial Day.
Kisner, 45, of Charleroi said the visit brought him to tears. He and another Marine spent last Tuesday clearing old floral wreaths, leaves and weeds from the site and posted photos on social media.
By Friday, the command unit of the Army Reserve Center in Carbon, where the monument is located, had scheduled a cleanup.
“Thanks to a concerned group of community members, we took positive steps (Saturday) toward ensuring the 14th Quartermaster Memorial ... receives the care and custodianship it deserves,” Shawn Morris, public affairs officer for the 99th Regional Support Command, said in an email.
“We would like to extend our apologies to the families of those soldiers to whom the 14th Quartermaster Memorial is dedicated, as well as to those local citizens who visit the memorial to remember and honor the sacrifice it represents. We are re-evaluating some of our grounds maintenance procedures to decrease the chances of something like this happening again,” he said.
The memorial was dedicated Feb. 25, 1992, one year after an Iraqi Scud missile decimated the Reserve unit's barracks in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, killing 13 detachment members. Another 43 in the water purification unit were wounded.
The attack marked the greatest number of casualties suffered by any single unit during the offensive.
Memorial services held at the site each Feb. 25 are attended by many family members of those killed and wounded.
Numerous veterans and landscapers offered to help with continued maintenance.
Kisner posted a photo from Saturday's work on the 14th Quartermaster's Facebook site, and a message of his own.
“I would like to take this opportunity to express my deepest gratitude to each and every person who has help(ed) make this photo a reality. It is my honor to post this (photo) taken (Saturday) after the landscapers had left. We must stay diligent in our pursuit, but this is a great start. Thank you all,” Kisner wrote.
He could not be reached for comment Monday.
Mary Pickels is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. She can be reached at 724-836-5401 or mpickels@tribweb.com.
