Fifteen years later, more than 200 people gathered at the Gallitzin American Legion Thursday morning to dedicate the recently named LCPL Ralph J. Fabbri USMC Memorial Bridge in his honor.

It is also the bridge where Fabbri’s remains were carried over for the last time before his burial, according to speaker Robert Crusciel.

He said that “The Sandlot” was the final movie Fabbri watched with his fellow Marines. Later, those individuals told Fabbri’s family about the line from the movie that stood out to him that night:

The dedication sign in LCPL Ralph Fabbri’s memory is displayed at Thursday’s event. Mirror photo by Colette Costlow

“Heroes get remembered, but legends never die.”

In his memory

Fabbri was known by many as a brother, a friend and a hero.

Born on Sept. 29, 1989, in Altoona, Fabbri was a Penn Cambria High School graduate and was an active member in local arts groups.

In 2006, he also began dating his high school sweetheart, Justine Shaffer Festa, who stayed with him until his death in 2010.

Shaffer Festa is Crusciel’s goddaughter and niece, so when the pair began to date, Crusciel said “she became a part of the Fabbri family just as Ralph became a part of ours.”

Fabbri’s relatives served, and he himself was interested in the military, Crusciel said, so it was no surprise to his family that Fabbri enlisted in 2008. He planned to use the GI bill for school and “one day become an art teacher.”

He was then deployed to Afghanistan in March 2010 to participate in Operation Enduring Freedom.

“Our families prayed daily for his safety and eagerly counted the months until his return that October,” Crusciel said during his speech while holding back tears.

On that fateful day in September 2010, Fabbri was killed in action “when his patrol — which he volunteered for — was ambushed,” Crusciel said.

During the ceremony, state Sen. Judy Ward, R-Blair, said Fabbri “gave his life as a defender of freedom in Afghanistan.”

Fabbri’s brother, Timmy Fabbri, 44, said that Fabbri “sacrificed a lot for the people that are here. The people that will be a lot younger than him might be able to understand what he did, and it will still be there in their memory.”

Building bridges

Years later, Crusciel thought about honoring Fabbri in a “more prominent, more public way that would last forever.”

So, he reached out to Gwenn Dando — who works for state Sen. Wayne Langerholc, R-35th District — with the idea of a dedication bridge in Fabbri’s honor.

Local political leaders took on Crusciel’s mission by writing the legislation, leading to the law being passed by Gov. Josh Shapiro on July 15, 2024.

Ward said she and Langerholc were “honored” to partner in sponsoring this “well-deserved bridge naming.”

After July 2024, family and friends worked with PennDOT to make the sign a reality.

Naming a piece of infrastructure is a “rare and honored gesture,” PennDOT District 9 Executive Vince Greenland said during the event.

While 324 bridges across Blair County are state-owned, only 18 are legislatively named, according to Greenland.

“This is a remarkable honor that is only bestowed on a select few,” he said.

Because of Fabbri’s service, Ward said this bridge is a “reflection of the collective gratitude that is owed to Ralph by all Pennsylvanians and the entire nation.”

Crusciel said Fabbri was a “young man who wanted to serve his country despite the risk.”

“This bridge will be a visible sign of his bravery and the life that he gave for our country,” he said.

Fabbri’s family and friends hope his legacy lives for generations to come following the dedication.

When passing the bridge, Ward urged the audience to “look for the sign and take a moment to remember this local hero who sacrificed his young life for us.”

After the ceremony, Fabbri’s brother Timmy said that “long after we’re gone, he’s still going to be remembered.”

“Ralph, you were a true American hero, and today at this dedication, we ensure that your legend will never die,” Crusciel said.

Mirror Staff Writer Colette Costlow is at 814-946-7414.