Efforts by Sharon Springs American Legion Post 1269 to memorialize five local graduates killed in the Korean War and World War II are moving ahead.
With the help of an excavator loaned by Jim MacFadden and manpower from Sharon Springs Central School groundskeeper Glen Osterberg, veterans last Tuesday cleared some overgrown shrubs away from the existing World War I monument from in front of the school.
Next, that monument will be professionally cleaned by Dan Viscosi of Cherry Valley Memorials, all with the ambitious and determined longer-term goal of flanking it with a pair of granite memorials remembering, on one, Marine Richard Buttery, killed in the Korean War, and on the other, World War II vets Walter Sall, Howard Slater, Andrew Empie, and Laurence Stephens, all four killed in WWII.
“It’s our way of honoring the young men who attended the Sharon school and died in the service of their country,” said Post Commander Dave Costello.
“There are other, national memorials. This is a local one and everyone’s really getting behind it and the school’s been very generous with their help.”
The project is expected to cost at least $20,000 before its all done; for now, Mr. Costello said, they’ve raised enough for the cleaning, which will be done in time for Sharon‘s traditional Memorial Day ceremonies.
Contributions toward the effort have come in from all over the country; the veterans are also holding a cash raffle with a drawing set for June 23.
Half of all the money raised will go toward the monument with the rest divided 25/15/10 between three other winners.
Veterans are optimistic they’ll have the monument completed by Memorial Day 2009; down the road, a final phase will include a paved walkway where bricks will recognize other veterans who’ve died.
Anyone who’d like to donate toward the project can send contributions to the Sharon Springs American Legion Post 1269, PO Box 273, Sharon Springs, NY 13459.
An artist's sketches of the monuments along with photographs of the five men to be remembered there will be displayed at the site during this year’s Memorial Day services.