As the Rotary Club of Mount Joy approaches its 100th anniversary in 2026, the organization is preparing to mark that milestone with a project rooted in remembrance. The club has a long history of enhancing the town, from installing the Main Street clock to helping build Rotary Park and contributing significantly to the rebuild of Kids Joyland. Now, Rotarians are turning their efforts toward a project that carries deep local meaning: the creation of a Malmedy Massacre Memorial at Veterans War Memorial Park.
The memorial will honor the more than 80 American soldiers who were executed during the Malmedy Massacre on Dec. 17, 1944, during the Battle of the Bulge. It will also pay special tribute to the 10 Lancaster County soldiers from Battery B of the 285th Field Artillery Observation Battalion, among them Mount Joy's own Harold Billow, the last-known survivor of the World War II massacre, who passed away in 2022 at age 99.
"The Rotary Club of Mount Joy has always been committed to enhancing their local Mount Joy community in the Rotary spirit of Service Above Self," said Rotarian Dave Christian. “The club's primary focus for the memorial is to tell the story of that horrific day, so it is never forgotten.”
The massacre unfolded on a bitterly cold morning near Malmedy, Belgium. An American convoy of about 30 vehicles unknowingly approached a crossroads from the east at the same moment a heavily armed German SS unit advanced from the west. Outgunned and forced to surrender, the Americans were gathered into a field, where, moments later, the German soldiers opened fire. Unarmed POWs were gunned down where they stood; some were shot at close range as they lay wounded. Only those who managed to feign death, including Cpl. Billow, survived long enough for the Germans to leave the area.
Five of the 10 Lancaster County soldiers present were killed that day. Sylvester Herchelroth of Marietta, Charles Haines of Columbia, George Steffy of Stevens, Luke Swartz of Stevens and Carl Frey of Hopeland all lost their lives. The others - Billow, Bill Reem of Elizabethtown, Robert "Sketch" Mearig of Lititz, James Mattera of Marietta and Ernest Bechtel of Reinholds - returned home after the war.
For decades, Billow honored his fallen comrades by displaying 87 American flags in his yard every Memorial Day, Veterans Day and Dec. 17. Those flags became a poignant personal ritual and now serve as the inspiration for the new community memorial.
"The inspiration for the memorial was heavily influenced by Eagle Scout Todjr Dohl of Mount Joy, who was designing a Malmedy memorial project several years back for his Eagle Scout project," Christian said. “The Rotary Club of Mount Joy chose to give new life to Todjr's vision, carrying forward most of his proposed design elements.”
The club's proposed memorial incorporates symbolism in its central feature: a field of 87 miniature American flags, arranged exactly as Billow placed them each year. Set in river gravel and illuminated at night, the field will serve as a quiet but powerful reminder of the soldiers lost at Malmedy. The flags will remain in place year-round, except during times of heavy snow.
A granite monument with a bronze plaque will stand beside the flag field, offering visitors a brief account of the Malmedy Massacre. A stone bench will provide a reflective space for those who wish to pause, remember or pray. The memorial area will be accessible by an ADA-compliant walkway and surrounded by plantings of red, white and blue flowers and several small flowering trees.
Community involvement is central to the project's design. The walkway surrounding the memorial will be lined with donor-sponsored, laser-etched brick pavers. Individuals, families, organizations and businesses are invited to purchase a paver in honor of one of the Malmedy soldiers.
Ten larger brick pavers - each bearing the name of one of the Lancaster County soldiers present at Malmedy - are available for sponsorship. Sixteen additional pavers will display World War II service branch insignias, mottos and Gold Star symbols honoring families who lost loved ones in the conflict.
The Rotary Club estimates the total cost of the memorial at $35,000 to $40,000. If fundraising progresses quickly, the goal is to complete and dedicate the site on Memorial Day 2026.
"If contributions exceed expectations, we hope to add a historical storyboard to the memorial space that would pictorially and descriptively convey the story of the Malmedy Massacre and the 10 Lancaster soldiers who were there," Christian said.
Community support will be essential in bringing the project to life. Donations of any amount will help ensure that the memorial stands as a lasting tribute to the men who never returned home and as an educational reminder for future generations.
Those wishing to contribute can visit http://www.mountjoyrotary.org and click on the Malmedy Massacre Memorial link or contact Rotarian Andy Dieck at 717-327-6912 or sfh@sheetzfuneralhome.com.
