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9 May 2006
A Memorandum to Hamilton-Area Veterans, Their Families, and Their
Friends:
We are the members of Hamilton’s Post of The American Legion, named in
honor of the first Hamilton man to fall in France in World War 1. For
many years, some of us have wondered – as you may have – why there is no
display of appreciation for the many men and women from our section of
New York State who have worn the uniforms of our Nation’s armed services
from Colonial days to the present time.
After asking “Why is there none?” for so many years, we finally decided
that we should be asking, “Why don’t we see if we can obtain a location
and create a memorial to these veterans?”
We considered several locations within the village and decided to
request a portion of public property which is best suited as a place of
remembrance and quiet reflection. We hired a local artist, David Grace,
to put our ideas onto paper and we presented the design concept with our
request for a site on public land to the Village Board of Trustees for
their approval. That approval was unanimously granted by the Trustees
this past summer. The Trustees have been not only very supportive, but
most gracious in their support.
It is now up to us to raise the funds to not only construct the
Hamilton-area Veterans’ Memorial in the grove of trees between the
Hamilton Public Library and the Village Office, but to also establish a
continuing fund to provide ongoing maintenance funds for the memorial in
order to avoid placing an additional burden upon local taxpayers. Our
goal is to accomplish this project through our own fund raising
projects.
Our Post is endeavoring to raise funds in different ways. One route is
through sales of American flags and patriotic memorabilia, and
solicitation of private funds. We have not yet sought funding from
federal or state agencies.
A second route is through sales of memorial paving bricks dedicated to
veterans of our armed services who have served from the very beginning
of our Nation until the present day and also through individual
donations which will fund of the furniture in the plaza: eight lighting
fixtures and six granite benches dedicated to the six branches of the
military services which served during the Second World War: the Army,
Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force (Army Air Corps), Coast Guard, and the
Merchant Marine.
As you can see from the enclosed rendering, the memorial will consist of
a central plaza with two brick-paved walks leading from the Broad Street
East sidewalk and the village parking lot. This octagonal plaza will be
approximately thirty-four feet wide, surrounded by low plantings. In the
center of the plaza, a ten-and-a-half-foot tall octagonal “Coal Black”
granite column (black with gray inclusions) surmounted by an two foot
“Galaxy” granite globe (black with gold inclusions), will bear
eight-inch diameter brass seals of the six service branches and two
dedicatory plaques. One plaque will face the walk from Broad Street East
and be dedicated to these honored veterans. The other plaque, located on
the opposite side and facing the other walk, shall be dedicated to those
service members who are classified as missing in action or prisoners of
war.
Opposite each of the six service branch’s seals on the central column,
there will be a “Vermont Grey” granite bench dedicated to that
particular branch. In front of each bench, a grey granite block, flush
with the pavers, will acknowledge the donor or donors of the bench.
The plaza will be lighted from its eight corners by 42-inch high bollard
lighting, using energy-efficient lamps. Accent lamps will light the
central piece.
In much the same manner as was done at the New York State Fairgrounds,
we are offering veterans and their families an opportunity to purchase
brick memorial pavers for the plaza. We are also offering our supporters
an opportunity to purchase individually – or in groups – a service’s
bench or one of the bollard lights. We are asking a minimum of fifty
dollars for a four by eight-inch brick memorial paver, one hundred
dollars for an eight by eight-inch brick memorial paver, four thousand
dollars for each bench, and a thousand dollars for each of the lighting
standards.
During the Second World War, the local draft board published a Book of
Remembrance which contained the names and photographs of the men and
women of southeastern Madison County who served in that conflict. We are
inviting not only families from this same area to participate in this
project, but also people from all over who have developed ties with the
area and who wish to honor their veteran relatives or friends in our
memorial.
We hope to fill the central plaza with up to seven hundred memorial
pavers, but even at the price we are asking for each of these pavers,
the benches, and the lights, we know that we cannot achieve our
financial goal without undertaking other fund-raising activities. So,
for the foreseeable future, the men and women of Post 375 will be
embarking upon a number of fund-raising endeavors.
Remember, this is a memorial to the men and women of the armed services;
it is not a “war memorial.” We wish to remember and honor the
individuals who served, not the conflicts themselves. As one of our
members succinctly put it, “If you want to know why we should not
celebrate ‘war’, ask any veteran.” And, we have received a number of
donations from good citizens who are opposed to ‘war’, but who also wish
to see that the veterans, the men and women who served, are honored by
this memorial. And we are grateful to them.
We sincerely hope to dedicate the Hamilton-area Veterans’ Memorial
during the Veterans’ Day celebration in Hamilton next autumn. With your
support and that of others, we can make it happen.
Thank you for your interest and participation in the Hamilton-area
Veterans’ Memorial project.
Donor Pledge Form ~
Veterans Memorial
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