The 11 veterans honored Nov. 10 by Sacred Heart Senior Living, Northampton, for their military service had stories etched in their faces as some recounted their experiences many years ago.

Take Walter Fedorak, for example. He ran away from home at 18 to join the U.S. Army.

Donning a cap with World War II lettering, Fedorak, 92, sat down for a brief chat - with his wife, Mary, at his side - to share some of his journey through the 1940s experience. The couple, who had resided in Whitehall Township, now share a room at the Sacred Heart Senior Living complex.

Speaking in a soft voice, Fedorak said he was living in Allentown at the time and working at Bethlehem Steel. He was 18-1/2 years old and decided to join the Army. Fedorak said he did tell a brother, who then conveyed the news to his parents.

Not only did he serve in the military during World War II, but so did his four brothers - making five Fedoraks proud to serve, akin to the famed case of the five Sullivan brothers, U.S. Navy sailors who perished together in combat, resulting in policy so that could never occur again.

Fedorak said his assignment, along with his fellow soldiers, was to bring back the dead and wounded from the battlefields in Europe, sometimes as many as a hundred a day. Fedorak said he somehow managed to remain unscathed during the dangerous daily missions.

Fedorak said one of his brothers was en route to Japan when the war ended. His brother was discharged on arriving back in the United States.

The 11 Sacred Heart residents honored during the ceremony joined together to sing the national anthem. The program was organized by Sacred Heart and AseraCare Hospice.

For Fedorak and many of his generation who served in World War II, talking about their wartime experiences is not always something they are prone to do - because many don’t look at themselves as heroes.

Resident Lester Albaugh, a World War II soldier, said he was in Europe and was wounded there.

Modestly, he said simply, “I got banged up a little.”

Margaret Scanlon, the only woman in the group honored, started her military duty during the Korean War, stateside.

Others honored with Fedorak, Albaugh and Scanlon were Lawrence DiGirolamo, Charles Frye, Richard Gray, Ray Mack, John Marakovitz, Raymond Mondschein, Michael Ozimek and Richard Yocum.

Each veteran was given a certificate for excellence in serving and a commemorative pin.