Photo By Wayne Cook | Representatives of the Mayor's Veterans Advisory Committee of Manchester Township...... read more read more
FORT DIX, N.J. - With the recession affecting everyone, the Mayor's Veterans Advisory Committee of Manchester Township extended its fundraising campaign by reaching out to the Joint Base community at the commissary Feb. 19-20.
The vets were raising money to build a World War II Veterans Memorial that will be part of the new World War II Veterans Memorial Park in Whiting, N.J., adjacent to the tri-base. It will open April 24. The memorial will consists of mock-ups of military equipment from the different branches of service with the centerpiece being a bronze statue of a World War II Soldier referred to as "the Grunt," and a granite wall depicting scenes from the war.
"Due to the recession, prices have gone up since we first submitted the design for the memorial to the artist and suppliers. We originally raised $140,000 to cover the costs, but since then we have had to raise an additional $12,000 to take care of the price changes," said World War II Army veteran Frank Barone.
"The money we have raised has all come from the public. People have been very generous, especially the young people, whose grandfathers have a closer connection to our cause. They have been very responsive and helpful," he said.
Barone and other veterans of World War II and the Korean War sat patiently at the exits of the commissary, passing out literature about the memorial and biographies about some of the members of their group. They passed the time by sharing with each other, and anyone who cared to listen, some of the experiences they encountered during the Second World War.
These elder warriors are adamant and excited to pass on the legacy of World War II and the part Americans played in securing peace for Europe and the rest of the world.
Barone said, "We're passing away more and more as the days go along. We want the younger generations and future generations to be able to remember the contributions of our generation during such a dark moment in world history."
The band of brothers that gathered at the commissary included 93-year-old Woody Gardella, an Army veteran and recipient of three Purple Hearts. Gardella fought Rommel's forces in North Africa and the German Panzer armies at the Battle of the Bulge. Other members present were Marine Corps veteran Milton "Pappy" Gore, Army veteran Don Koos, Marine Corps veteran Rocco Coscia, and Army veteran Al Cirone.
For more information about the memorial park, interested individuals can call the Manchester Township Veterans Advisory Committee at (732) 350-1205.
Note: This is a follow-up story to an article written by Shawn Morris, published in the November 13, 2009 edition of the Post newspaper, located in the archives at www.dix.army.mil
| Date Taken: | 02.20.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 02.23.2010 09:31 |
| Story ID: | 45733 |
| Location: | FORT DIX, NEW JERSEY, US |
| Web Views: | 324 |
| Downloads: | 203 |
This work, Veterans Seek Donations for World War II Memorial, by Wayne Cook, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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