South Dakota XXI

About 100 miles northwest of Sioux Falls is the town of Woonsocket and I have written about it previously on this site.

They have a really nice war memorial here that highlights the service and sacrifice of their sons and daughters.

I wanted, today, to once again highlight the faces of some who are remembered here.

 

Here the face of a Sailor, not designated to any particular war, is honored and remembered. He could be anybody from any war.

These pictures were taken before I had created the Faces of Remembrance subgroup of A Means to Heal so I am cropping them out of larger shots. therefore the quality varies. That being said they deserve no less honor and tribute.

This guy is designated as a Vietnam soldier and his expression seems to me to be the only thing needed to tell his story.

There are other faces here too and as I have often said, I am astounded at what small places do for their own. 

Almost unbelievably Woonsocket has a population of 665 as of the last census. Absolutely stunning. Well done!

Next time, on the 27th, we will return to Virginia, so join me there at 9:00am.

To see additional memorials from south Dakota, or any other sate,  please click on the state name on the left side of this page.

Rhode Island X

Practically on the Massachusetts border about 15 miles north of Providence is Woonsocket, Rhode island.

This really nice memorial to those lost in Vietnam is made of polished black granite greatly resembling The Wall in DC.

Dedicated on November 11th, 1984 it lists their names, all 17 from the area.

A unique piece of this story is retold upon the wall. The school children of the Woonsocket public and Catholic systems raised the money so that these might be remembered always.

IN MAY OF 1984, DURING THE MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND
THE STUDENTS FROM THE ELEMENTARY AND JR. HIGH SCHOOLS
OF THE CITY OF WOONSOCKET AND CATHOLIC REGIONAL
SCHOOL SYSTEMS UNITED TO RAISE FUNDS
IN A PROJECT ENTITLED “WE REMEMBER”
TO PAY TRIBUTE AND ASSURE AN EVERLASTING MEMORIAL
TO THOSE WHO SERVED WITH DIGNITY AND HONOR
IN AMERICA’S LONGEST AND MOST UNPOPULAR WAR. 

The question of which is America's longest war depends from when you  are marking the war. The most common time frame of Vietnam is from '59 to '75, 14 years. But, if you count from when the first American solder was actually killed, 1956, you get a completely different count. So, I guess the debate will continue, perhaps far in to our future. It matters not to these honored here.

The memorial may be found on the corner of Worrall Street and Clinton Street near the post office and police station.

Next time, on July 4th, I'll have a special post, so take moment out from the celebrations, BBQ's, and fireworks to check it out.

To see additional memorials from Rhode Island, or any other state, click on the state name on the left side of this page.

South Dakota XVII

As is so often the case, while driving around South Dakota I rolled into a number of small towns. These places rarely have the resources necessary to build memorials to every conflict in which we participate. so, they build what are often called "multi-war" memorials to honor all those who served or were lost over the years.

This one is in Woonsocket and honors many and lists their names from WWI through Vietnam.

I have a little knowledge about what building a memorial entails. Hours and hours of planning and preparation and thousands and thousands of dollars. the specifics of this site, I cannot quote, but I do know that life sized statues run roughly $80,000 a piece, so you can rest assured that this memorial was expensive. I say all this to make a point, the population of Woonsocket, South Dakota is 720. Nope, that's not a mistype, 720 folks determined to make this memorial happen and did so.

Note the dates listed on the right side of this panel. It seems to average out to about 20 years per war, one per generation. I have often said that one generation goes to war so that perhaps their children will not have to do so, I guess not.

This guy seems to be our representative at the site.

Those of you who follow along with me know that I like to take "portraits" of any individuals I find along the way.

The sculptor was certainly able to capture some of the horror of war in his face.

This is another of those sites about which I cannot find a single word. As always, if you know something, I would love to hear it. you can reach me in the "comments ' section below or, privately, with the email to the left.

Next time, on the 19th, we travel back to Texas, so join me there, as always, at 9:00am.

To see additional memorials from South Dakota, or any other state, click the state name on the left side of this page.