Jun. 3—A bridge crossing the Casselman River now honors a Rockwood native who gave his life for his country in North Korea in 1953.
Army PFC Alton Glenn Sterner, 22, was killed in action while serving with the Army’s 5th Regiment Combat Team during the final weeks of the United States’ involvement in the Korean War, records show.
The Rockwood native paid the “ultimate price” to protect his country, so it’s only fitting that he’s remembered as a hero “in the town he called home,” state Rep Carl Walker Metzgar said.
“PFC Sterner’s bravery and sacrifice in defense of our nation are nothing short of heroic,” Metzgar said.
Metzgar, and Somerset County Commissioners Colleen Dawson, Pamela Tokar-Ickes and Gerald Walker stood alongside Sterner’s surviving family — including his brother, Lee — to dedicate the portion of Rockdale Road that crosses the Casselman in his name.
A brief ceremony was held at the American legion Post 279, just south of the crossing.
“May the bridge serve as a reminder for us all of the selflessness of serving the greater good,” state Sen. Patrick Stefano said.