Paramedic killed in line of duty to be venerated with U.S. Honor Flag Friday
Paramedic supervisor Matthew Smelser will be laid to rest with hero鈥檚 honors Friday following his line-of-duty death on Interstate 70 in Smithton Sunday.
The U.S. Honor flag was driven across the country Thursday to venerate Smelser during his funeral services in Monongahela. The 43-year-old father of two and Rostraver/West Newton EMS supervisor was tending to a patient near the Smithton exit of I-70 East in South Huntingdon, Westmoreland County when he was hit by a commercial vehicle at about 5:30 a.m.
The U.S. Honor flag rests at the head of a casket during ceremonies. Military veteran Chris Heisler has traveled more than 7 million miles with the flag since its first journey in 2001 to Ground Zero. He decided to use the flag to honor heroes after speaking to a 9/11 survivor.
鈥淭he survivor challenged Heisler to keep the American flag and told him the spirit of patriotism would go away and people would forget,鈥� the Honor Flag鈥檚 website says. 鈥淗eisler told the survivor that we, Americans, can never forget about the sacrifice of the heroes.鈥�
Smelser鈥檚 funeral is scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday at Marshall Marra Funeral Home in Monongahela, followed by burial at Monongahela Cemetery. A procession of emergency vehicles will escort Smelser to his final resting place.
Rostraver emergency vehicles will be staged on Chess Street, near the funeral home, while emergency vehicles from other departments will be staged along Railroad Street, according to Rostraver/West Newton Emergency Services. The flag will be displayed at Route 88 and Maple Drive. The procession will turn right from Chess Street onto 4th Street, left on Main Street, left on Route 136, left on 4th Street and back onto Main Street, then continue onto Route 88 and right onto Country Club Road to the Monongahela Cemetery.