MAYBERRY TOWNSHIP - Becky Woodruff is proud of her son for serving in the U.S. military, and now anyone visiting the Mayberry Township cemetery of St. John's Evangelical Lutheran (Vought's) Church will see Montour County's first War on Terrorism marker on his grave.
"It's a more appropriate marker than the Persian Gulf one that was on there. He didn't have anything to do with that war," she said.
Her son, Jason M. Woodruff, 22, enlisted in the Army National Guard after graduating from Danville High School in 2004 in response to the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
The Army specialist was scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan, but back problems delayed his trip, said Becky Woodruff.
While driving to the Lewisburg Armory, where he worked, on Aug. 25, 2008, he was struck by Timothy H. Losch, of Sunbury, and killed. Losch was sentenced to no more than 23 months in jail for the accident.
Montour County Director of Veterans Affairs Doug Resseguie, who placed the marker on the grave July 5, agreed it is more appropriate.
"We use the War on Terrorism marker for all service-related deaths after 9/11," he said.
The marker is a circle with a globe in the middle and the words "War on Terrorism" on the top and "Defense of Freedom" on the bottom, he said.
Resseguie also replaced the flag on the grave, which is done every year for all veterans buried at the cemetery, he said.
Attending the marker placement was Woodruff's mother, his widow, Gretchen, and his mother-in-law, Connie Brady.
"It's extremely important we remember our veterans and the sacrifices they make for all Americans," said Resseguie.