Birth of a Vision

The vision for the Watertown Veterans Memorial started as a coffee time conversation between Laurel Foss, a Korean War Army Veteran, a recipient of the Purple Heart, Bronze Star and a member of the DAV and LeRoy Anderson, a 20 year Navy veteran from the Vietnam era and Commander of the DAV Chapter #6, back as far as 2003. The Memorial’s birth began on a beverage napkin and was later enhanced by Laurel’s nephew Michael Foss from Arizona, who drafted the initial copy.

Foss and Anderson approached the Park and Rec. Dept., looking for land to build the Memorial. After a couple of rejections the final location became the northwest corner of Stokes-Thomas City Park on the shore of Lake Kampeska. In 2004, Foss returned to Arizona and between he and his nephew, Michael, they drew the first full scale plans for the project with clearer images of what the memorial will look like.

Since that time Anderson and Foss formed a Veterans Memorial Committee, Lynn Johnson representing the VFW, J Maurice Redmond representing the American Legion, Ordean Bierman representing the Marine Corp League and Richard Stricherz a member of the DAV. Through the efforts of the Committee the project is moving forward. The ground breaking ceremony was September 2, 2005 at 2 p.m. at the Stokes-Thomas City Park. Mayor Paul Fox served as Master of Ceremonies.

Working with Watertown Monument Rock of Ages Memorials, computer images were created. The memorial will be crafted out of 17 sections of Black Mist granite, from the Rock of Ages quarries in Barre, Vermont and St. Peters, Pennsylvania. The two outer sections, each measuring four feet by four feet, will be a listing of the sponsors who helped make the vision possible. Behind these two sections will be the Dedication Day Dignitaries and the Veterans Prayer. Moving towards the center on either side is a four foot by twenty foot section with some military graphics and names of veterans, branch of service and years of service. The center section measuring four feet by twenty feet will also feature veterans and military graphics. On the back side will be more military graphics and veterans names with the exception of the very center 4x4 section which is reserved for our National bird, the eagle. We will be able to list 2240 veterans names on the wall.

The flags will represent the branches of the military and veterans organizations. The POW/MIA flag is outside the main portion of the memorial, but is attached by a chain, symbolizing that they will never be forgotton. The chain will theoretically go under ground from the POW/MIA flag and will emerge inside the memorial and be connected to the world globe.

There will be 19 strategically placed benches in and around the memorial that will provide a resting place for visitors throughout the memorial. These benches were sponsored by families and companies in the Watertown area in support of the memorial.

The Committee thanks everyone who had an effort in helping with this memorial.