America250PA last week dedicated a custom-designed bell sculpture outside the former Tacony home of World War II hero Al Schmid as part of its Bells Across PA initiative, a statewide public art series commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026.
Schmid grew up in Burholme, attending Kennedy Crossan Elementary School and Woodrow Wilson Middle School, and later worked at Dodge Steel in Tacony. He joined the Marines two days after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
A sergeant, he was awarded the Navy Cross for his heroism in 1942 at the Battle of the Tenaru during the Guadalcanal campaign in World War II. He killed at least 200 Japanese soldiers, many while blinded by shrapnel from a grenade. The movie Pride of the Marines chronicles his life, and Schmid – who died in 1982 at age 62 – is a member of the Northeast Philadelphia Hall of Fame.
Constituent Don Stamm lobbied state Rep. Jared Solomon, an America250PA commissioner, to honor Schmid in a special way, and M&T Bank agreed to sponsor the bell.
Nathaniel Lee, of Mural Arts Philadelphia, designed the fiberglass bell, which was unveiled during a Nov. 11 event on the 6500 block of Tulip St. Officials are still debating where to place the bell permanently.
“He really demonstrated the cost of liberty,” Lee said of Schmid.
The Bells Across PA initiative will ultimately place 108 bells – at least one in all 67 counties of the state – by next year.
Among those attending the unveiling were Solomon; Lee; Jane Golden, executive director of Philadelphia Mural Arts; Matt Darragh, Chief of Staff for America250PA; Randy Kunkle, a Senior Vice President at M&T; state Sens. Joe Picozzi and Nikil Saval, who is an America250PA commissioner; state Reps. Joe Hohenstein and Anthony Bellmon; and City Councilman Mike Driscoll.
“Real heroism and real greatness does come from Northeast Philadelphia,” Darragh said in reference to Schmid. ••
