Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners Vice President and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7293 member Philip Ginder and Joseph Bundra, with Ironton Rail Trail Oversight Commission, coordinated a day trip Sept. 26 for service members residing at Cedarbrook Nursing Home.

“We have been doing this for years, but when the bridge construction was underway, we had to stop. Now things are open again for us,” Ginder said.

The VFW wants to resume these day trips on a regular basis.

The day outing included a trip around the IRT in a specially equipped bus with top sites narrated by Ray Bieak, a member of IRT Oversight Commission. Alice Christman and Mary Vandermark from Cedarbrook accompanied the veterans on the tour.

The veterans group from Cedarbrook included Mark Queen (Army), Marshall Hill (Air Force), Tom Reinsmith (Army), Frank Bartman (Army), David Laury (Army), Thomas Zborel (Army), Bob Koch (Navy) and John Kuncio (Army).

The Whitehall Chorale entertained at a luncheon held after the IRT trip.

Whitehall Township Mayor Michael Harakal Jr. and Lehigh County Executive Phillips Armstrong attended the ceremony and offered thanks to each of the veterans for their service.

SSgt. Bryan Brandmeir, the Army’s liaison with the VFW post, updated everyone with the latest combat gear available to soldiers and some memorabilia.