By Tommy Hallissey
The current Hillcrest veterans memorial dates back to the late 1920s. It was dedicated as a memorial to Hillcrest veterans of World War I. The weather has taken its toll on the monument and over the years veterans have banded together to repair the old memorial.
The original bronze plaque is the only thing that will be salvaged, according to City Councilman James Gennaro (D-Fresh Meadows.) The old plaque will be removed from the current memorial and will adorn the new memorial, which will be a five-foot high piece of red granite. The poem “We Shall Keep the Faith” by Moina Michael will be inscribed onto the granite.
In 1997, plans started to come together for a new memorial on the same site as the old memorial. Morton Povman, the councilman at the time, included $85,000 for the new memorial in his capital budget. The memorial was approved and money was budgeted for construction. Then the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 occurred and all the money from the discretionary budget was allocated elsewhere. The memorial was put on the back burner for a while.
Gennaro picked up where his predecessor left off. But Gennaro's project has almost twice the budget of his predecessor. In this year's discretionary budget, he included $150,000 for the construction of the new veterans memorial, and for a redesign of the triangular piece of land the current monument stands on.
“If were going to honor [the veterans], we should honor them in a very significant way,” said Gennaro, who called the new memorial “a monument for the ages.”
Thomas Maher, of the American Legion Hillcrest Post 1078, has been involved with the planning of a new memorial since day one.
“To have it come full cycle and go out the window and come back, I take a lot of personal satisfaction,” said Maher. He met with an ad hoc committee of numerous veterans groups throughout Queens to discuss the plans for the new memorial. Although the plaque is still dedicated to Hillcrest veterans of World War I, the new monument will be for veterans of all wars.
Hillcrest Post 1078 worked in conjunction with the city Parks Department to design the new memorial. They reviewed drawings and renderings of the park.
“We worked closely with the local veterans to come up with an appropriate design to honor past veterans,” said Eric Adolfsen, Parks Department spokesman.
The new design will shift the monument 20 feet east from the center of the triangle. The landscaping of the triangle will be rejuvenated as well.
The Parks Department is currently in the bidding process. It expects to break ground in the fall. The dedication of the monument is planned for Memorial Day next year.
Although the community has had to wait seven years for a new memorial, Gennaro said he spent the extra money to ensure the monument would last.
“I'm sure the community is going to be proud of it,” said Gennaro.
Reach reporter Tommy Hallissey by e-mail at news@timesledger.com, or call 718-229-0300, Ext. 155.
