The Wampum Chapter of the North Country Trail (NCT) has dedicated a new mile of the North Country National Scenic Trail in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, to the memory of Army Specialist James Earl Hupp, who lost his life in Vietnam in 1970. On May 19, 2012, Chapter members presented a plaque to Mrs. Carol Kirkwood, Hupp's sister, honoring him.
Mrs. Kirkwood had granted permission for the chapter to build the new mile of trail across her farm property, replacing a mile of road walk with a walk along a wooded hilltop overlooking the North Fork of Little Beaver Creek. During his discussions with her about the trail and the proposed route, Wampum Chapter Vice President Dennis Garrett noted that although James's death in service to his country occurred over forty years ago, he is still very much on Mrs. Kirkwood's mind.
Funding for the plaque was arranged by chapter member Sher Eiler who obtained a grant from her employer, the Eaton Corporation. The plaque was installed on the Kirkwood property, adjacent to PA State Gamelands 285, in a serene spot overlooking the Little Beaver Creek and Painter Run.
