Tobyhanna Army Depot unearths time capsule, honors retirees
It was a double special occasion on Tuesday at Tobyhanna Army Depot as the military installation removed a time capsule from the ground and honored four retiring employees.
The capsule, buried in 2000, was intended to be opened 20 years later, but COVID-19 delayed the ceremony.
At that time, new Sidewinder missile test equipment had just arrived at the depot, according to a copy of the Tobyhanna Reporter, a depot publication, included in the capsule. Signs of the technological times included a trinket from Tobyhanna Army Depot Federal Credit Union declaring that it was “READY FOR Y2K,” and a website preserved on a CD with a blocky “2000” and grid indicating the digital frontier.
A big group photo commemorates the depot’s employees from 2000 — a group whose average salary was $37,500 then, compared with $58,602 now. A photo of the attendees at Tuesday's ceremony will be placed in a 2022 time capsule.
A staff directory was included in the 2000 capsule, along with a list of the depot’s longest-serving employees, which indicated that the honor belonged to Elizabeth Millard, who began in June of 1954, five and a half years before the next-longest-serving employee, Stanley Jaworski.
Some of the depot’s current longtime employees were honored after the 2000 time capsule was opened. Four employees with 166 years of combined service will be retiring between now and early July.
Most prominent among them was Frank Zardecki, who has 60 years of federal government service, including serving as the depot’s deputy commander since 1991. A plaque bearing his likeness was unveiled.
“It’s been a great career,” Zardecki, who began in the avionics shop, told assembled colleagues. “Over the years, I got to do so many things that I never expected to do. But more importantly, it’s about you and the future.”
Zardecki and three others — Marti Verbonitz, leader of the depot’s legal team; Robert Katulka, director of production engineering; and Robert Haas, director of quality management — received certificates of appreciation from the U.S. Department of the Army.
Verbonitz, Katulka and Haas were also honored with Meritorious Civilian Service Awards. Zardecki received a letter of appreciation from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
“You have bettered our country, personifying the values that guide our democracy while defending our homeland, protecting our people and preserving our way of life. You have made an enormous difference in the lives of countless others, and our shared prosperity is a direct result of your unwavering commitment,” the letter read.
Additionally, all four honorees were given American flags that had previously flown at the Pentagon.
This article originally appeared on Pocono Record: Tobyhanna Army Depot opens 2000 time capsule, honors retirees
