Special to The Star-Herald
Photo courtesy of Jennifer BuzzaMEMBERS OF PRESQUE ISLE’S Disabled American Veterans Chapter 10 and Auxiliary congregated at the Veterans’ Park on Main Street in Mapleton recently to dedicate two new marble benches to the town in honor of local veterans. Attending the dedication ceremony were, front row, from left: John Barlow, Anne Leavitt, state commander DAV Auxiliary; Norman Johndro, Wendy Gonzalez, chaplain Presque Isle DAV Chapter 10; Donald Pelkey, Clarence McLaughlin, Sr., Christine Pelkey and Janet Durgin. Back row: Martin Puckett, town manager, holding daughter Sabine; Jim Gehring, Dick Moro, Terrance Leavitt, state commander DAV; Dale Eaton, Bob Robinson, Mike King and Diana Gehring.
Members of Presque Isle’s DAV Chapter 10 wanted to find a way to honor veterans from the Mapleton, Chapman, and Castle Hill areas and began searching for ideas in 2008. They contacted the Cole Land Transportation Museum in Bangor after finding out the owners of the museum had donated engraved marble memorial benches to other veterans’ parks in the state. Since there was a waiting list, the benches were not completed and ready for installation until June of this year.
On June 29, members of Presque Isle DAV Chapter 10 arrived at the memorial site with the benches in pieces, ready to install. The site was prepped by Kelly Hubbard, who completed the necessary cement work before the benches could be put into place. Fudd, Dale and Tim Wood of Delmont Wood and Sons were also contacted to assist with the project. They drove their boom truck to the site to help position the 720-pound marble benches on top of the newly poured cement slabs. Within 45 minutes, the pieces of each of the two benches were in their permanent homes. The engraved benches read, “In memory of all Veterans … All gave some … Some gave all.”
Members of the Presque Isle DAV Chapter 10, along with members of their Auxiliary, invited Mapleton, Chapman, Castle Hill Town Manager Martin Puckett to the site in front of the Mapleton Elementary School for a brief dedication ceremony Monday, July 6. Following a group photo, those present saluted the flag, and then Chapter Chaplain Wendy Gonzalez read a blessing for the new memorial pieces.
The PI DAV Chapter 10, of central and southern Aroostook, would like to thank the following businesses and organizations who provided donations of time, labor and equipment to this project: Cole Land Transportation Museum of Bangor, American Legion Chapter 88, Presque Isle Elks Lodge, Delmont Wood and Sons, Kelly Hubbard, and two anonymous donors.
Cole’s Museum has donated similar benches to veterans’ parks throughout the state. These two benches can be seen with the veterans’ memorial stones in front of the Mapleton Elementary School on Main Street in Mapleton. Similar benches can also be found at the veterans’ park on north Main Street in Presque Isle.
Photo courtesy of Jennifer Buzza
TWO ENGRAVED MARBLE BENCHES were recently donated to the Mapleton Veterans’ Park by Cole Land Transportation Museum of Bangor. The Presque Isle Disabled American Veterans Chapter 10 began the process last year and recently had the benches dedicated in a brief ceremony at the Main Street site.
