On March 25, 1991, the first National Medal of Honor Day was celebrated to recognize recipients of the highest award for military valor in action. Although Lancaster County has several Medal of Honor recipients, a ceremony to mark this day has not been held in the county - until now.

Thanks to members of the Sons of Union Veterans Camp 19, two local Medal of Honor (MOH) soldiers were formally honored at a ceremony in March.

William H. Strayer was honored at his final resting place, Camp Hill Cemetery on Bruce Avenue in Mount Joy. Charles H. Fasnacht was honored at Greenwood Cemetery in Lancaster.

"To our knowledge, this was the first commemoration on National MOH Day in the county," shared Scott M. Fasnacht, past camp commander of the Gen. George H. Thomas Camp 19, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW). "Once we did the research and identified that six of the nine MOH recipients with a Lancaster County connection were from the Civil War, we felt like it was a natural fit for the Sons of Union Veterans to take the lead."

As Scott explained, the SUVCW is a nonprofit dedicated to preserving the history and legacy of the heroes who fought and worked to save the Union. It was organized in 1881 and chartered by Congress in 1954. The Lancaster camp was chartered on Feb. 13, 1889, and there has been an active camp in the county ever since.

Separate ceremonies were held at each grave site for Strayer and Charles Fasnacht.

"The ceremonies were somber and respectful," Scott remarked. "We had beautiful March weather, warm sun and a brisk breeze. ... We were pleased that the Lancaster County commissioners did create a proclamation stating that March 25 was National Medal of Honor Day in the county. That was very nice."

The ceremonies began with remarks from Brian Remmey, camp commander of SUVCW Camp 19. The Red Rose Veterans Honor Guard performed the national anthem at the beginning of the program and played taps at its conclusion.

"The Red Rose Honor Guard were amazing," Scott said. "They had a great turnout, and the detail leader was a retired three-star general - Lt. Gen. Dennis Benchoff."

The Red Rose Veterans Honor Guard is a volunteer organization of veterans and service members dedicated to honoring the fallen. Established in 1998 as a nonprofit, it provides free military funeral honors, including flag folding and presentation for Lancaster County veterans. Since its founding, the group has honored more than 7,500 veterans with these ceremonies, ensuring they receive the recognition they deserve.

Jodi Barone, director of the Lancaster County Department of Veteran Affairs, presented the proclamation at Camp Hill Cemetery, while MOH descendant and SUVCW Camp 19 member James Fasnacht presented it at Greenwood Cemetery.

Peter Byrne, senior vice commander for Camp 19, provided a brief history of the Medal of Honor, and Scott delivered remarks about both Strayer and Charles Fasnacht, who is Scott's great-grandfather.

Strayer, who lived from 1847 to 1876, was a U.S. Army soldier awarded the Medal of Honor for gallantry in action during the Indian Campaigns. Serving with Company B, 3rd U.S. Cavalry, he fought in an April 26, 1872, battle near Loupe Fork, Neb., alongside Buffalo Bill Cody. Despite being outnumbered, Strayer bravely engaged Sioux raiders. Strayer, who was born in Maytown and died in Bainbridge, received the Medal of Honor on May 22, 1872.

Sgt. Charles H. Fasnacht of the 99th Pennsylvania Infantry was awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery during the Civil War. On May 12, 1864, at Spotsylvania, Va., he captured the flag of the 2nd Louisiana Tigers (C.S.A.) in a fierce hand-to-hand fight. He received the Medal of Honor on April 2, 1878. Born in Lancaster County in 1842, he died in 1902.

Additional MOH recipients from the county are Milton Blickensderfer, Trustrim Connell, Isaac N. Fry, Chester Furman, John Kinsey, Robert Reem and William D. Port.

Both local National Medal of Honor Day programs included wreath-laying ceremonies.

Scott noted that he hopes to make this program an annual event.

"The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War exist to help perpetuate the memory of the soldiers, sailors and Marines who fought for the Union during the war. So we were helping to fulfill our duty by holding these commemorations," he said. "Of course, we support the men and women who have served our nation in the military throughout its history, so we are always interested in ways that we can do that."

He encouraged people to learn more about the Medal of Honor and its recipients by visiting the website for the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, http://www.cmohs.org.

"They are the official organization that supports MOH recipients, and they were behind the creation of National MOH Day," he shared.