No where, for example, will you learn about the legacy of those men, what municipality they lived in, where they were stationed during the war and what regiment they served in, or how they were killed.
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Nor that a young Lewis Morrison died at the age of 20 when the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Princeton, which was providing aerial support to Gen. Douglas MacArthur's invasion of Leyte in the Philippines, was sunk by Japanese in October 1944.
But by the end of the fall, county officials and the West Chester Service Club are expecting those names to come alive through the county's Web site and provide detailed information for those looking to learn about those who served.
Last week, county Webmaster David Williams and college intern Trevor Carlow announced plans to have those names serve as hyperlinks to more information about each soldier, with the help of West Chester University and various schools throughout the county.
In addition to promoting the Hall of Heroes, county officials hope the new Web site, www.chesco.org/heroes, will provide a research vehicle for students looking to learn about the men and women who died in the armed services.
"A name is one thing, but it's the stories that really matter," County Commissioner Karen Martynick said. "It is those stories that people really need to know."
After spending roughly 70 hours getting the Web page up and running with digital images of American and POW/MIA flags, soldiers in the sunset and Arlington National Cemetery, Williams said members of the Friars' Club of West Chester University will begin in the fall to lay the groundwork to begin researching the names.
In addition, Commissioner Andrew Dinniman said there have also been discussions with teachers throughout the county about integrating the research project as part of their American history curriculum.
"We, as commissioners, very much wanted the Hall of Heroes not just to be a wall of marble that people occasionally look at when they walk by, but a real way to teach others the history and the sacrifices of those men," Dinniman said. "Through technology, we are making the sacrifices of those who served become part of the education for young people in the county."
Dinniman hopes the Web page will serve to crystallize and localize American history for young people in Chester County.
"The people that got killed weren't much older than the kids in 11th grade (that are studying American history," he said."Our young people need to understand that."
The Hall of Heroes project first started with the West Chester Service Club joining efforts with the county commissioners in 1998, which included fund-raising and research to find the names of Chester County residents who died while serving in international conflicts.
Jerry Schneider, vice president for the men's service club, said several university students will do in-depth research and gather photos, stories and wartime memories on 20 to 30 names listed on the wall, before sending list of names to individual school districts.
"We've talked to a lot of principals and teachers and everyone so far seems in agreement that this is a great project," Schneider said. "We've also connected with the Chester County Historical Society and they've agreed to help students with some of the research."
As an added incentive, the students who researched an individual's name will be credited at the bottom of the Web page.
"For years, this will be a great history tool for the students of Chester County," Schneider said. "If we add a half-dozen names a year that means that another half-dozen students get in to it and learn about those names."
