A WWII Helmet Returned, Resources for Traveling Veterans and Local Veteran Earns Accolades at the Creative Art Festival

By: Paula Green

 A World War II helmet lost and long forgotten for 80 years has miraculously returned to the Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum. The late Earl L. McCorkle served in the U.S. Army Engineer Company, responsible for building bridges, clearing obstacles, and preparing beaches for landings during the war. From March 7 to 25, 1945, McCorkle's battalion played a key role in the American offensive into Germany.  

During intense fighting at the Remagen Bridge, which spanned the Rhine River and linked Belgium to Germany, McCorkle lost his helmet. In an incredible turn of events, the McCorkle family received a letter from a Swiss forensic pathologist, Jean-Loup Gassend, who discovered a rusty, mud-covered helmet near the bridge. After some examination, Gassend could decipher a soldier's initials and a partial service number scratched into the helmet's fiber lining.  

This information made Gassend suspect the helmet belonged to McCorkle from Elizabeth, Pennsylvania. He contacted McCorkle's family, who then contacted Soldiers & Sailors for information about Earl's military history and whether he had been involved in the combat at that bridge. 

Following an investigation, the staff at Soldiers & Sailors confirmed that the helmet did indeed belong to Earl McCorkle. Gassend returned the helmet to Soldiers & Sailors, and on January 31, McCorkle's daughters attended a private ceremony at the museum to unveil the long-lost helmet. 

In other military news, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has launched a new armed forces initiative in partnership with the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. This initiative, a testament to the VA's commitment, ensures that veterans in rural areas can now access telehealth and mental resources, providing them with a sense of security.

Flyers have been posted at the 17 service plazas spanning the 565+ mile PA Turnpike to provide Veterans with crucial information. These flyers guide veterans to VA locations and the Veteran's Crisis Line, reassuring them through free telehealth access and confidential support from caring and trained responders 24/7, 365 days a year.

VA selected Pennsylvania for this program due to the state's size and rurality. The campaign will connect veterans with VA resources and maintain their continuity of care within the VA healthcare system. The program will be achieved through the innovative “Anywhere-to-Anywhere” Telepath Practice Authority using VA-Video Connect, a system that allows veterans to access healthcare services remotely, ensuring they receive the care they need when needed.  

Finally, two local Veterans have been named first-place winners in the National Veterans Creative Arts Competition, Art Division. Lori Ceder, a Marine Corps Veteran, took first place for two of her submissions and second place for a third submission. Her submissions "Reminiscing My Childhood" (Fiber Arts Kit) and "Haunted House" (Stained or Painted Figurines) won first place. Krystal Anspach, an Army Veteran, took first place for her submission "A Bushel of Fairies" (Diorama). The first-place winners are invited to attend the national festival hosted in Indianapolis, Indiana, May 11-18. For more information on the Veterans Creative Arts, visit www.creativeartsfestival.va.gov.