A rally was held at Tamaqua's Depot Square to honor U.S. servicemen and women from Schuylkill and Carbon counties, especially those stationed in the Middle East during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Maj. Diane Heburn, commanding officer of the Salvation Army Tamaqua Corps, welcomed the crowd."Unity is the word of the day," said Schuylkill County Commissioner Frank Staudenmeier, one of the featured speakers. "The war in Iraq has made people more aware of the sacrifices made by our men and women in uniform."Close to 200 people attended the event.