There are many memorials commemorating those who have given their lives defending the country: National memorials of stone and mortar, flags hanging from neighborhood porches and flowers placed on grave sites.

But as the nation observes Memorial Day next Monday, Joe Oyler is involved in constructing a memorial of a different type. His building blocks include time, patience and, perhaps, a bit of luck.

For three four years, he's been chronicling the stories of veterans from the greater Bridgeville area so their names are not forgotten as the pages of each year's calendar are turned.

Since a story on his efforts appeared in the Bridgeville Area News last November, Oyler has discovered 27 additional soldiers to add to his list of 58.

The new list of 85 includes men who died during the Civil War (six), World War I (14), World War II (52), the Korean War (six), the Vietnam War (three) and peacetime accidents (four).

A member of Bethany Presbyterian Church in Bridgeville, part of Oyler's motivation was to build on a list of 25 war veterans from his parish who are recognized on Memorial Day each year.

In a search for answers, the World War II memorial standing in front of Beinhauer-Fryer Funeral Home was a key starting point. He's also had many emotional interviews with family and friends with connections to veterans and examined articles in old newspapers and the Internet.

Oyler said his project initially encompassed only Bridgeville, but it has spilled over into South Fayette and contiguous parts of Collier and Upper St. Clair. He plans to write about his findings in a future book.

Recently, he began researching names that appear on a war memorial in front of the volunteer fire department on Millers Run Road.

"These guys need to be remembered, too."

Oyler said Emily Brady, president of the South Fayette Historical Society, has been an immense resource.

"She knows everybody," he said. "Of the 17 South Fayette World War II guys, she knew relatives of six of them who were alive."

Oyler will present his project to the historical society at their meeting on June 23.

Since last fall, the stories he has uncovered include John Csuhta, of South Fayette, who was 39 years old when he was killed in actionin the Netherlands three weeks before the Battle of the Bulge in 1944.

Oyler talked with the brother of Charles Deleuze, of Sturgeon, who was killed in the Battle of St. Lo in France while serving in the U.S. Army in July 1944.

"It's almost as significant as the D-Day invasion," he said.

Walter Kalesky, of Cuddy, died in the Philippines on the U.S.S. Lexington during the Invasion of Leyte when his aircraft carrier was hit by a kamikaze plane in 1944.

As he speaks to their relatives on the phone, Oyler said it takes a while to explain who he is and what he's doing.

"Once it clicks, they're delighted someone even cares."

Anyone with information about veterans from the greater Bridgeville area who died serving their country can contact Joe Oyler at 412-276-6142 or by e-mail at josephoyler@msn.com.