The 113th anniversary of the dedication of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument was celebrated during a ceremony and wreath laying on Oct. 12 at the base of the monument.

VFW Post 12099 Commander and retired state Legislator Joseph R. Zeller delivered the address in the commissioners hearing Room at the Lehigh County Government Center.

This grand monument was originally dedicated to the soldiers of both the North and South in the Civil War, one of only a few memorials to do so.

After a restoration in the early 1960's, the monument was rededicated to honor all Lehigh County veterans of our nation's conflicts.

In 1999, after another cleaning and restoration by the County of Lehigh, a Civil War Ball, re-enactor encampments and a parade marked the Centennial.

A plaque commemorating a rededication of the monument to Lehigh County Veterans of all wars of the United States on May 30, 1964, hangs on a wall between Hamilton Street and the step to the main entrance of the Lehigh County Government Center.

The plaque inscription "This column commemorates the valor and patriotism of the Soldiers and Sailors of Lehigh County in the War of 1861-1865," was dedicated Oct. 19, 1899.

The heroic bronze figures on the monument are typical of four branches of the service:artillery, infantry, cavalry and marine, indicative of the 1861-1865 era.

The Pro-Monument Association and United Veterans of Lehigh County jointly sponsoring this annual tribute to a proud moment in Lehigh County history.