Community recognizes American hero: Spc. Billy Evans Memorial Park dedication ceremony held

A dedication ceremony was held Saturday at the Spc. Billy Evans Memorial Park on New York Ave., Hallstead. Evans was killed in action on Sept. 19. 2005 in Iraq. A stone was unveiled at the park by his parents, Bill Evans Sr. and Judy Parker, as Taps played. Pictured at the stone are Judy Parker, the Pennsylvania National Guard Major General Tony Carelli, and Bill Evans Sr. STAFF PHOTOS/STACI WILSON

Spc. William “Billy” Evans, a Pennsylvania National Guard Soldier, was killed by a roadside bomb on September 19, 2005. Family members, friends and community members worked together to build a memorial park in Hallstead, Pa. and dedicated it Sept. 23 (U.S. Army National Guard courtesy photo)

Adjutant General of the Pennsylvania National Guard Major General Tony Carelli

Hundreds were on hand as Susquehanna County remembered an American hero Saturday at the dedication of the Spc. Billy Evans Memorial Park in Great Bend Twp.
The opening of the park happened just over 12 years from the day Evans, a member of the National Guard’s 1st battalion, 109th Infantry Regiment, was killed in Ar Ramadi, Iraq. An improvised explosive device detonated near his Bradley Fighting Vehicle during combat operations.
Adjutant General of the Pennsylvania National Guard Major General Tony Carelli said the citizen soldier from Great Bend Twp. had seen some of the most horrific combat in that campaign.
“We haven’t given a fraction of what Billy gave,” Carelli said. “The Evans family knows firsthand what that hardship and sacrifice is.”
“At 22-years-old, he was a responsible, professional, experienced and wise beyond his years,” Carelli said. “A small-town kid became an American hero.”
He noted the Superman references on the park signage, saying those were appropriate. “Whenever the call comes, (Guard members) pull off their civilian clothes and put on a uniform. Few people in the country answer that call.”

Judy Parker, mother of Billy Evans, is joined by other Gold Star families at the podium.

Judy Parker, mother of Billy, spoke publicly at the ceremony for the first time since her son’s death.
She acknowledged other Gold Star family members at the event and asked them to join her at the podium.
“We are not in this alone,” she said. “These are the families. We dream of what’s lost – the weddings, the families. We had those dreams and they were lost. It’s nice to know they are not forgotten.”
In a departure from her prepared remarks, Parker spoke about her son. “He was a good kid,” she said and described him as always being a caretaker.
She said Billy responded on Sept. 11, 2001 saying, “This can’t happen here. He then knew he would do something in the service. They all just want to make a difference.”
She asked the crowd to appreciate the surroundings as they walked the path. “Stop and see the beauty in everything here,” Parker advised.
Bill Evans Sr. thanked the community, family and friends for their recognition of his son. “Life changed on that date – Sept. 19, the day my son was killed in action.”
Evans Sr. said he had lived on the property where the park was located years before the land had been turned over the township after flooding. He said Billy had played on the piece of land.
“I catch myself looking around sometimes to see if he is hiding somewhere taking pictures,” Evans Sr. said.
In the years since his son’s death, Evans Sr. said he dreaded the month of September. “This is the only September I have looked forward to in 12 years.”
Following Evans death, five more from the 109th were also killed: Daniel L. Arnold, Montrose; George A. Pugliese, Carbondale; Oliver J. Brown, Carbondale; Eric W. Slebodnik, Greenfield Township; and Lee A. Wiegand, Hallstead.
Carelli said he had spoken with Bill Evans Sr. last year about final complications with the park plans, and worked with Sen. Lisa Baker to help it over those hurdles.
In his opening remarks, County Commissioner Alan Hall said plans for the park had been in the works for seven years.
Baker said the park’s walking trail was a fitting tribute to Evans, who was “always on the move, possessed talent and was blessed with personality.”
“”The hazards of warfare cut his journey much too short,” Baker said and thanks Evans Sr. for his dedication and efforts on the project.
Martin Kane, Retired Commander of the Pennsylvania National Guard said, “(Evans) was not the typical boy. He knew it the dangers but did it anyway.”
Kane and Evans arrived in Kuwait together before being dispatched in different groups to Iraq. “I never saw him again,” Kane told the crowd. “Ramadi was considered the most dangerous place on earth. (Evans) went beyond the wire to give safety and security to the people of Ramadi.”
Other speakers at the event included American Legion Post 357 Commander Tom Snyder; Rep. Jonathan Fritz; Susquehanna County Director of Veterans Affairs Richard Ely; South New Milford Baptist Church Pastor Larry Thomas, and Bluestone Gathering Vice President Chris Marsh.