Mt. Pleasant woman, 102, among veterans honored at Penguins game

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Mt. Pleasant woman, 102, among veterans honored at Penguins game

Patrick Varine | Sunday, November 10, 2019 9:20 a.m.

Tribune-Review file

Mt. Pleasant Township native Melva Dolan Simon (center) poses with fellow Navy WAVES on a French ship at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, where they were stationed during World War II.

Melva Simon didn’t just get to see her first Pittsburgh Penguins game in person on Saturday night.

She was a guest of honor.

Simon, 102, of Mt. Pleasant was among a group of veterans to whom the Penguins paid tribute throughout the evening in advance of the Veterans Day holiday on Monday.

Simon left her secretarial job at Hurst High School in Norvelt to enroll in the WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) in October 1942. She was assigned to the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, where she took care of office tasks and chauffeured officers.

The Penguins held an empty “Seat of Honor” in the arena to remember those who serve in the military, including those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

A Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum exhibit featuring World War II uniforms and memorabilia was displayed in the arena’s Highmark Hallway.

Simon was part of the highlight package the Penguins created for Saturday’s game.

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