Ridgewood's World War I soldiers to be honored on Veterans Day

From North Jersey.com: Ridgewood's World War I soldiers to be honored on Veterans Day
American Legion Post 53 is planning a Veterans Day rededication of 14 plaques dating back to 1931 and honoring World War I casualties.

The plaque rededication is one of several historical renewal projects throughout the village that the Legion hopes to complete over the next two years, according to Legionnaire Chris Stout.

On Armistice Day in 1931, intertwined with the initial dedication of Graydon Park, Post 53 planted 14 white ash trees, each in memory of a Ridgewood soldier who died during World War I. Each tree was also accompanied by a plaque bearing the soldier's name. The ceremony was conducted in part with a nationwide movement to plant 10 million trees in commemoration of the 200th birthday of George Washington.

Stout, who presented plans for the rededication to the Village Council during a work session in early July, said the ceremony is the culmination of years of research and planning.

"We basically rediscovered the initial plaques several years ago and thought that was kind of cool," he said in an interview. "Then we realized a lot of them were gone. We thought it was too bad that that event would completely disappear."

Over the 80 years since the original dedication, some plaques and trees disappeared. According to Stout's presentation, four of the trees remain, while only two plaques are still visible at Graydon Park. Several vacant cement bases remain near the original trees, while some have disappeared entirely. Stout currently has possession of two of the missing bronze plaques, and discovered one at the southeast corner of Graydon, three feet below the sand, with a metal detector.

While Post 53 initially wanted to plant 14 more trees and create an equal number of new plaques for the rededication, members eventually decided that it would be easier to consolidate everything into a single monument. The plan is now to place a plaque honoring all 14 soldiers on a boulder – a structure similar to the 9/11 memorial located in Van Neste Park – and install it in the northwest corner of Graydon Park, near The Stable parking lot. The plaque will display the names of all 14 original honorees, along with the dates and locations of their deaths.

Instead of planting new trees, the Legion will "symbolically adopt" an existing red oak in that section of the park, according to Stout.

Early plans placed the monument at the corner of Maple and Linwood avenues, but Post 53 decided to move it to a more convenient location for accessibility purposes. The new location will allow visitors the option to park at The Stable and increase traffic through the area, giving the display more attention, according to Stout.

"We wanted it to be a special spot," he said.

The project represents a collaborative effort between Stout and two local historians, Ridgewood Library reference librarian Peggy Norris and historian Joe Suplicki. Stout's role has been to focus on the military side of the research, while Norris and Suplicki have honed in on Graydon Park's own history. To this end, Post 53's plans include an interpretive panel that will accompany the memorial plaque and will detail the history of the area many residents know exclusively as Graydon Pool. Norris and Suplicki have worked on the text that will appear on the panel.

"I think it's a nice thing to put into Graydon Park, for local historians," Stout said. "People will be able to go and see the history of the park."

The total cost of the proposed change, including a commemorative bench donated by the Ridgewood A.M. Rotary Club, will be around $2,000; funds were approved by the Village Council last year, Stout said. To allow for easier handicapped and wheelchair access, Stout is considering installing a path to be paid for with a brick sale.

At the council meeting, Deputy Mayor Tom Riche spoke in support of the brick sale and the project in general, citing his father, a retired Army lieutenant colonel.

"Any time we have an opportunity to honor those who have served, we should seize that moment," he said in a later comment. "This project not only commemorates those veterans of WWI, but will provide a place of solace and reflection for all those brave men and women who followed them. A commemorative brick dedicated to Lt. Colonel John V. Riche would, with humility, take its place beside other true American heroes."

Stout hopes that the fence along Maple Avenue can be modified to allow access to the monument without a pool badge.

"It's a public park," he said. "We're hoping the town will be able to redo the fence in such a way that people will be able to visit."

Post 53 is now knee-deep in planning for the Veterans Day rededication on Nov. 11. Stout will be the emcee for the event and will give a presentation on the military side, while Norris will discuss Graydon history. Stout also has placed a request with West Point Academy for a marching band, a color guard and a choir to attend the ceremony.

"If that happens, it's going to be a sensational event," he said.

Stout said that Tim Cronin, director of Parks and Recreation, has agreed to help uncover and dig up any missing plaques after the pool season ends. Plaques may be under several feet of sand or absorbed into the fully grown trees. All the original plaques that can be recovered will be on display at the ceremony, and subsequently entered into the historical reserves at the Ridgewood Public Library.

Stout envisions this project as the first of many that can renew interest in Ridgewood's history. He specifically cited the flag pole at Veterans Field as a possible candidate for rededication, and hopes to prepare a similar event for Veterans Day in 2012.

"Little by little, we can show and publish and display the history of the village around town, so people who are interested can learn," he said.

The project is slated to be officially voted on by the Village Council at an Aug. 3 work session.