Funeral Directors Launch Statewide Campaign

For National World War II Memorial

WETHERSFIELD — Connecticut’s funeral directors are inaugurating a statewide campaign to raise funds and awareness for a national memorial to honor military men and women of World War II. A key component of the Connecticut Funeral Directors Association’s (CFDA) efforts is to encourage veterans and home front patriots to record their names in the memorial’s “National Registry of Remembrances.”

The Wethersfield-based CFDA is inviting residents to join more than 200 local funeral homes in a “Celebration of Freedom” campaign to raise funds to help build a National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. The memorial will sit on 7.4-acre  between the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall. The CFDA campaign is a part of a national effort to generate funds for the memorial. Members of the state association are working with the National Funeral Directors Association, which has pledged to raise $5 million.

“More than 16 million Americans served in uniform during World War II and millions more supported the war effort here at home, yet there is no national memorial to this war,” explained Mark W. Celentano of New Haven, Connecticut, coordinator of the funeral directors’ National World War II Memorial Campaign. “Our ‘Celebration of Freedom’ campaign gives everyone an opportunity to honor the life of a veteran or home front patriot and ensure that Americans never forget the sacrifices they made so that we can enjoy the benefits of freedom.”

The “National Registry of Remembrances” database will include the names of any American, Veteran or worker on the home front, who participated in the World War II effort,”_ said Mr Celentano. “For example, this includes people who organized or worked on metal or rubber collection drives or who worked in a factory job in place of soldier who was off at war.”

Connecticut funeral directors also are expected to participate in a national Veterans Day 2000 balloon launch to salute Americans who served in World War II. On Saturday, November 11 at 2 pm, funeral directors throughout the nation will release thousands or fed, white and blue biodegradable balloons into the skies.

“This National World War II memorial and its Registry of Remembrances will be a powerful and lasting tribute to the men and women who served our country during World War II – in the service or on the home front,” noted Mark Celentano. “About 75 million of the $100 million required to build the memorial has already been raised. We hope Connecticut residents step forward to help us meet our national organization’s pledge to generate $5 million of the remaining $25 million  needed.”