[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 118 (Tuesday, July 6, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E744]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 COMMEMORATING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE J. HOWARD SNYDER VFW POST 
                                  781

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                         HON. GUY RESCHENTHALER

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 6, 2021

  Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the 100th 
anniversary of the J. Howard Snyder Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 781 
(VFW), which was founded in North Huntingdon, Pennsylvania on June 24, 
1921.
  Post 781 is named after Corporal J. Howard Snyder, the first American 
soldier from Irwin, Pennsylvania to die in World War I. Cpl. Snyder 
passed away on August 13, 1918, three days after his twenty-second 
birthday and three months before the truce that ended the war. On April 
3, 1921, Cpl. Snyder's body came home to Irwin and a burial service was 
held the next day. The community came together to mourn the death of a 
young man whose life was taken too soon, with shops along main street 
closing to observe the procession and burial. With the funeral fresh on 
their minds, local veterans decided to honor J. Howard Snyder when 
founding VFW Post 781.
  For the last 100 years, Post 781 has been an invaluable resource for 
generations of veterans, as well as an integral part of the local 
community. Post 781 brings residents together for fish fries, sponsors 
the annual Irwin Memorial Day parade, and maintains the gravesites of 
local veterans. In 2017, members of Post 781 sourced a headstone for a 
Civil War veteran whose grave had been unmarked for 125 years in Irwin 
Union Cemetery. Forever devoted to improving the lives of their fellow 
veterans, Post 781 distributes food to veterans in need and provides an 
outlet for those processing their service to our country.
  Madam Speaker, members of the J. Howard Snyder Veterans of Foreign 
Wars Post 781 have demonstrated remarkable commitment to those who 
served and to the local community. As an Iraq War veteran, I'm honored 
to recognize the 100th birthday of an organization that does so much 
for my fellow veterans. I have no doubt that Post 781 will remain an 
integral part or their community in their next 100 years.

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