New Memorials At Edmond Town Hall Will Honor

Current Newtown Troops & Update Veterans Listings

By Shannon Hicks

Four oversize frames within the lobby of Edmond Town Hall list the names of the men and women from Newtown who served in the armed forces between the years 1941 and 1971.

Sandy Hook resident Laurie McCollum wants to see updated memorials added to the collection, and approached the Town Hall Board of Directors recently to see if its members would work with her toward that end. She has been given permission by the board to have new frames designed, and hopes the public will join her in covering the cost of the frames as well as updating the lists of those who have served since 1971 and honoring those troops who are currently serving.

“I put my own money up for this. I had confidence that this would take off, and I wanted to get it going,” she said.

She is hoping to hear from service people, or their friends and family, to make sure the names of everyone from Newtown who is currently serving is recognized.

“What I’m doing right now is asking family members or friends to send me pictures and bios of people who are currently serving. They don’t necessarily have to be deployed, and it should be anyone in any branch of the armed forces,” said Ms McCollum, who will have the VFW verify names for her.

Among those who will be included in the new memorials will be Ms McCollum’s son Ryland, who is a Marine Corps lance corporal. He finished a tour of duty in Afghanistan in October and his family expects he will be redeployed by late summer.

The new frames will differ from the old ones in that they will include photos of soldiers, along with biographical information and in some cases even some mementos from the soldier. The cases have been designed with locks, so all items inside them will be safe.

Ms McCollum also plans to have an American flag and a Blue Star flag in each case, along with “something representing each branch,” she said. “I’m open to suggestions.”

The original memorials were designed by William Rasmussen and sponsored by Newtown Chamber of Commerce. They are located in the building’s main lobby, with one to the right of the box office window, another on the opposite wall, and two more in spaces between the three doors that go into the vestibule.

Between the four memorials already on view the names of 735 residents are listed. Gold stars next to a name indicates the person was killed in action, according to Town Hall Manager Tom Mahoney. Newtown, according to the memorials that are in place to recognize those who served the country between 1941 and 1971, lost just 12 of its residents in battle during that timeframe.

Last October, Ms McCollum, along with Newtown residents Susanne and Carl Zencey, approached the Board of Managers during its monthly meeting to request the board allow the installation of new showcases honoring the town’s servicemen and women who have served or are still serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Ms McCollum’s daughter, Meriah Tani, drew illustrations for memorials that would work either on the town hall’s third floor or in the lobby. The board decided to allow the new installations in the lobby, but did not want to go with a new design.

In March the board was assured that the new memorials would be similar to the current presentations and Ms McCollum was given permission to move ahead with the project.

Hubie Davis, a woodworker based in Sandy Hook, has agreed to help Ms McCollum. He has painstakingly created a pair of mahogany frames that are near duplicates of the four already in place at 45 Main Street.

“The board of managers would only agree to this if we replicated what was up there already,” Ms McCollum said. “I felt finding someone from Newtown was also an important part of the project.”

Mr Davis does unique furniture building and repair work by trade, working out of his studio in Sandy Hook as well as on Mustique, an island in the southern Caribbean.

The frames (currently on view as well as the new ones) measure 42 inches tall by 30 inches wide. The interior of each new cabinet, however, measures 37 by 25 inches, and the cabinets are 1¾ inches deep. The new frames are shadow box in style, which makes them the same size as the original memorials but deeper and therefore able to hold photos and mementos.

As of late last week Mr Davis still needed to stain the full frame and add the layers of paint and stain to the outer edges that would give the new memorials their antiqued look, but work was progressing and that made Ms McCollum happy.

“When we put these frames next to the others [already in place], they should look like the others,” said Mr Davis, who expects the new memorials will be ready to be hung at the town hall within a few weeks.

“This is the first time I’m seeing these and I’m very excited,” Ms McCollum told Mr Davis last week. “I’m so glad you agreed to take this on. A lot of people will appreciate this. These will be here long after we’re both gone.”

Public Participation

There are two ways the public can participate in the town hall memorials project.

The first is to make sure every soldier who is currently in the armed forces (including National Guard) is represented in one of the frames. Ms McCollum invites troops or their families to submit a 5 by 7 photograph of the soldier, preferably in uniform, as well as a brief bio. The cases will be locked, so memorabilia is also welcomed.

The second thing the public can do is make a donation toward the fund that will cover the cost of the frames and plaques. Mr Davis’s time and talent are just two aspects of the project’s financial concerns.

The initial target will cover the cost of building the frames. Donations that are received beyond that amount will be used to help cover the cost of engraving and installing the plaques for those who served in the armed forces between 1971 and today.

“This is definitely a two-part project. We want to bring the memorials fully up to date,” said Ms McCollum.

A 501(c)(3) account has been set up to receive donations for the project. Donations of any size, made payable to Project Newtown Troops & Veterans, can be sent to Ms McCollum, 30 Waterview Drive, Sandy Hook CT 06482, or deposited at any branch of Newtown Savings Bank.

For additional information, Laurie McCollum may be reached at 426-5559.