During World War II, hundreds of residents of Coaldale borough joined the war effort.

They joined at a rate that well outpaced the national average.Even though many of those veterans are gone, they have not been forgotten.On Monday, several of their brothers served as a reminder, holding a memorial at the borough’s veterans memorial. It was one of the only Pearl Harbor remembrances in the area.Veterans, many of them from the McAdoo AMVETS and VFW, paid tribute to the soldiers from Coaldale in World War II, particularly two men who lost their lives just as the war began.They remembered the 2,400 soldiers lost at Pearl Harbor, as well as the 400,000 lost in World War II.In total, 53 Coaldale residents were killed in the conflict. That is four times more than the national average, according to veteran and historian William Gaddes.“We veterans here today share a special bond with those who served; especially those who gave the ultimate sacrifice,” he said.Coaldale native George Stembrosky, a seaman, was lost at Pearl Harbor. About a week later, another Coaldale native, Marine Pfc. John Katchak, was one of the first men killed at Wake Island.Gaddes remembered hearing of “his hero” Katchak’s death at Wake Island as a child. When he joined in the Korean War era, he had a chance to visit Wake Island.“I spent several hours wandering around the small island trying to imagine how Johnnie felt while waiting for the Japanese invasion,” he said.Stembrosky and Katchak’s names are both on the World War II wall of the impressive Coaldale Veterans Memorial, which was erected by the Coaldale United Veterans Organization.The memorial also contains the names of the other thousand-plus Coaldale residents who volunteered or were drafted into World War II.