Correction: Veterans Memorial Park is in Macedonia, not Northfield as noted previously.
Veterans Memorial Park in Macedonia added its newest monument over the weekend, honoring those who served in World War I.
The Veterans Day ceremony marked exactly 100 years since the armistice that ended fighting in World War I. During the ceremony, Veterans Memorial Park officials unveiled a large, black granite monument etched with battle scenes from what was described at the time as “the war to end all wars.”
Frank Gambosi from Twinsburg was there in remembrance of his grandfather, who fought in World War I.
“It’s a solid tribute to him and all the others who had died in that war -- as with all the other wars – and I’m glad that they do have these monuments here. The unveiling of the World War I for him is wonderful.”
The large, black granite monument is etched with battle scenes from “the war to end all wars,” and stands next to similar monuments to Vietnam and the War on Terror.
David Pristash is Commander of American Legion Post 801, which commissioned the monuments and came up with the idea for the park. He says they had been planning to install the monuments in reverse chronological order -- until this year’s Veteran’s Day coincided with the armistice to end World War I.
“We did World War I out-of-sequence because of the hundred year anniversary. But what we’ll be doing next year is moving it down, and the spot where it is now will be the Korean War.”
Danny Manes is an 8th-grader from Macedonia, and he was at the ceremony to play “Taps.”
“It’s a very special moment that we’re able to live in this free country and be free and be able to do all the things that we can do. We’re just grateful for other people who sacrificed their lives and their time away just for us.”
Pristash says their plan is to raise funds to add monuments eventually going back to the Revolutionary War, with each costing about $15,000. He hopes to have the Korean War monument installed before next Veterans Day.
