Village Going Forward With Improved War Memorial

The village hopes to celebrate Memorial Day 2011 at a new and improved war memorial on Seventh Street.

Dennis Donnelly, village trustee and chair of a committee charged with looking into a request to relocate and improve the current memorial, said the new site would include four plaques honoring those residents who served the country during World War I, the Korean War, Vietnam and Iraq/Afghanistan and a fifth plaque celebrating Garden City's Medal of Honor winners. Each plaque will measure 2 feet by 1 foot six inches in size.

"Hopefully Memorial Day next year we'll be celebrating at the new location," Donnelly said.

Mayor Robert Rothschild said it was unanimously agreed upon that something needed to be done for Garden City's veterans. "But with that comes budgetary concerns," he said.

The mayor said he received between 40 and 50 letters and 60 e-mails in support of the project. "We have a number of things like this that die on the vine," he said. "Make it a community event to raise money for a worthy cause."

He urged residents to donate to the project, promising the first check will be his personal donation; checks can be made out to the "Inc. Village of Garden City" with "war memorial fund" in the subject line.

The project is expected to cost approximately $25,000. Donations are aimed to help "partially offset" those hard costs. In addition, Donnelly notes that landscaping, lighting, installation and architectural services will be performed by village personnel.

John Donovan, commander of Garden City's American Legion Post, said what started as a grouping of stones and bronze plaques surrounding the existing gazebo was transformed into a contemplative setting initially dubbed "The Walk of Heroes."

"I am delighted to hear that the trustees' subcommittee on the veterans memorial garden project has announced that the village will be moving forward with the plans," he said. "Although I participated in one meeting, and have supplied some information and recommendations, I have not met with the committee for some time. For the record, I have not had any difficulties with the committee. In fact Trustee Don Brudie, in particular, has been very supportive of my efforts in helping with the project."

The committee, made up of village trustees and residents, worked on improved configurations and layouts, frequently met at the Seventh Street site and took into consideration a recommendation made by the American Legion as to what they'd like to see incorporated into the area. Mockups of each plaque have been on display surrounding the gazebo on Seventh Street.

The proposal to upgrade, consolidate and relocate the village's memorial first came before the board in January. Vietnam veteran Cyril Smith of Fourth Street, who served (1968-69) with the 82nd Airborne Division, made the suggestions to further commemorate those village residents that paid the ultimate sacrifice during wartime.

The proposal entails moving the current memorial area approximately 300 feet west to where the gazebo is currently located on Seventh Street near the Garden City Library.

Herb Blauert, artillery sergeant for General Patton's Third Army in World War II, past Nassau County commander of the American Legion and designer of the Veterans Memorial at Eisenhower Park, took personal interest in the project and took the initial concept from Smith and fellow resident Sue Alvey and transformed it into a sketch of what was the proposed design, according to Donovan.

The mayor, who's acknowledged the project's importance from the onset, urged trustee Laurence Quinn, school board liaison, to make mention of the project and the village's desire to seek donations, even suggesting students hold fundraisers.