Peck

A “veteran’s best friend,” Lloyd Peck did more for area veterans than anyone Ray Glass knew of, saying “any vet who had problems, he was the one to go and see.”

“He’d get something done about it,” said Glass, who is the Blair County Honor Guard’s former commandant.

Peck, 93, died on Monday in Altoona.

A founding member of the Honor Guard, Peck played taps for about 356 military funerals during his thousands of hours of service. Peck was also an active member of Faith Baptist Church in Altoona, Veterans’ War Council in Blair County, Hollidaysburg American Legion Post No. 516, Duncansville VFW Post No. 8724 and The Catholic War Vets.

“He needs to be honored,” said Gary Dull, pastor at Faith Baptist Church. “He’s the kind of man who can not, and should not, be forgotten for all that he’s done for the community and the military. It’ll probably take 10 people to do what Lloyd has done.”

Dull said Peck was “a real servant,” who helped with “anything that needed to be done,” and never tried to put himself in the spotlight.

“He was always there to help people and reach out to people who were in need,” Dull said.

Those who knew Peck stressed his commitment to not only the military itself, but his fellow veterans, with American Legion Motorcycle Riders member John Bascitiani saying Peck volunteered at the VA hospital to make sure veterans were receiving their benefits.

“He spent his whole life giving back to vets,” Bascitiani said.

A Vietnam veteran, Bascitiani said when they got home, they didn’t receive much of a welcome.

“It was great to have someone there like Lloyd, who welcomed us in,” Bascitiani said. “He made us feel welcome when maybe we didn’t feel welcome in the beginning.”

Bascitiani and Glass agreed that 9/11 changed the way civilians viewed veterans, but that Peck “did it way before.”

“It’s better now thanks to guys like Peck,” Bascitiani said. “He wanted no glory for himself at all.”

Born in Tyrone, Peck joined the U.S. Army on Nov. 22, 1948, choosing to forgo his senior year in high school. When his enlistment was up, Peck became a Marine and served in the Korean War, where he held the rank of 1st Lieutenant.

A member of the “Chosin Few,” Peck fought in the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, known as “Frozen Chosin.” He and 30,000 of his brothers in arms were surrounded by 120,000 Chinese troops for 17 days while temperatures were below zero, and as low as minus 36 degrees Fahrenheit, according to Tom Fox, social studies teacher at Altoona Area High School.

“Despite this, Lloyd Peck and his fellow gunners, using four mounted .50-caliber machine guns, were responsible for bringing down four MG-15 jets,” Fox said.

While serving in the Marine Corps, Peck was given a battlefield commission for his character and actions.

Peck was honored 75 years later at age 91 by finally receiving his high school diploma during a pep rally at Altoona Area High School. He described it as “one of the greatest days of my life.”

“Some of the things I went through in my lifetime, especially Korea, the coldest weather in some of those battles I won’t ever forget,” Peck had said.

Fox said during the 2023 rally that Peck served the community with distinction.

“What has he done — the question is what hasn’t Lloyd done?” Fox said.

Peck was well known for his work putting together the Memorial Day and Veterans Day parades. Dull said he didn’t know how many parades he put together over the years, but he remained involved even after he retired.

“He loved to see (veterans) advanced and honored,” Dull said.

Bascitiani said when his father, a WWII veteran, turned 100 years old, Peck made him the parade marshal so he could ride in the Jeep at the front of the parade. Peck did the same thing for Bascitiani’s Aunt Vera, a U.S. Navy veteran, when she turned 100.

“I get choked up when I see (pictures) now,” Bascitiani said. “They wore their uniforms and were waving like they were 18 years old.”

He said Peck looked at all veterans the same, whether they were a cook or saw combat.

“You wrote a blank check to give your life to the U.S.,” Bascitiani said. “That’s all that mattered to him. Even if you never left American soil, you still took the chance.”

Glass described Peck as a “gentleman” and a “go-getter” who was responsible for local restaurants providing free meals to veterans on holidays such as Veterans Day and Memorial Day.

“What really surprised me was being with him, and being around him, I think everybody knew him,” Glass said. “It didn’t matter where you went, you’d run into someone who’d come up and knew him. You wouldn’t want a better friend, there’s no two ways about it.”

Dull said Peck also “took it upon himself” to see that the various military monuments and memorials in the area “were all groomed up and nice.”

“They had gone into disrepair and he got them fixed up,” Dull said.

Peck’s memory will “go a long way,” Dull said, adding that he would like for something to be named after him, whether it be a street, bridge, highway or park.

“He’s one who should be honored in any possible way,” Dull said. “It’s just been an honor to know Lloyd down through the years. It’ll be very hard, near impossible, to replace someone like Lloyd Peck.”

Peck’s friends and family will be received from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at The Good Funeral Home Inc. and from 10 until the 11 a.m. funeral service Friday at the funeral home, with Dull officiating.

Burial will take place at Alto-Reste Park, with full military honors being conducted by the Blair County Honor Guard.

Memorial contributions may be expressed in Peck’s memory to the Blair County War Veterans Council or Faith Baptist Church.

Mirror Staff Writer Rachel Foor is at 814-946-7458.