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Date: 12/3/2020
EAST LONGMEADOW – For more than two years, a citizen’s committee has worked to fund a memorial to East Longmeadow residents who have died in military service. Despite delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the committee is moving toward its goal.
The Veterans Memorial project was the idea of veterans in town who, in 2018, realized that East Longmeadow did not have a monument for fallen military members as many other communities do.
“The fundamental reason we’re doing this is for the 20 people who gave their lives – all from East Longmeadow – in World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and this War on Terror,” said East Longmeadow Veterans Memorial Committee Chair Terry Glusko.
The monument, designed by Architecture EL of East Longmeadow, is planned for the grassy space in front of the Pleasant View Senior Center at 328 North Main St. It will consist of several granite slabs that form a star. The pieces of stone will represent each armed conflict in which an East Longmeadow service member has died. The names of each conflict’s fallen veterans will be inscribed on their respective stones. There will also be a panel of granite for service members who are missing in action. Rising over the stone structure will be the flags of each branch of the military.
Members of the public can purchase one of the red paver bricks that will form the walkways to be imprinted with the name of a veteran. Following that walkway through the memorial site will take visitors to a small park in which they can sit and reflect.
“We’ve created a monument that encourages contemplation,” said designer Rick Morse. He said that the materials for the memorial and reflection park will be sourced locally, as much as possible, to keep the monument tied to the area.
Originally expected to cost between $250,000 and $300,000, the project is now slated to run significantly more due to delays. Glusko explained that the committee has raised $192,000, and needs another $325,000 to break ground.
With the pandemic bringing fundraising activities to a halt since March, the committee has largely turned to businesses for funding. Monson Savings Bank donated $10,000 on Nov. 16, while Big Y has given $3,000, Westfield Bank gave $2,500 and People’s Bank is expected to make a donation in the near future.
Glusko said that the largest donation to date was not from a business but from the Massachusetts Legislature. Rep. Brian Ashe, with help from Rep. Angelo Puppolo and Sen Eric Lesser, secured $100,000 for the project.
Aside from large donations, the committee is also running a gofundme.com campaign. So far, it has raised $675 of its $3,000 goal. The committee is selling T-shirts and mugs to raise money and people who wish to make a donation can also send checks to People’s Bank, 201 North Main St., East Longmeadow, Attn: East Longmeadow Veterans Memorial Committee. Glusko said that the committee is intentionally not handling any of the money directly, to make it clear that the fundraising is legitimate.
Despite the slow pace of funding, the committee has begun procuring materials for the project. The committee announced on its Facebook page that it has spent over $150,000 on an electric system to light the monument; pavers; the flags and flagpoles, which cost $25,000 and the Battle Cross statue, which will be located in the reflection park and cost $11,190.
“We’re serious or we wouldn’t be spending that kind of money,” Glusko said. “We have everything in place. The town manager, the town council – everyone is on board,” he added.
Glusko previously told Reminder Publishing that he hoped the project would be complete no later than 2021. With the delays in fundraising caused by the pandemic, he said, “we’re probably looking at spring of 2022.
“This is a deep passion of mine,” Glusko said. “It’s up to the living in order to put forth what they can to memorialize and honor those who gave their lives.”