This very cool statue of a World War I Doughboy stands on the library green at the corner of Main…read moreStreet and Central Avenue, in front of East Hartford's Raymond Library. He is in full uniform and sports the distinctive combat helmet of his day. The monument was dedicated in 1929 to the men and women, from East Hartford, who fought in World War One; both the survivors and those who didn't survive. The inscription reads: 1917-1918 In Honor of the men and women of East Hartford who answered their country's call to service in the World War. To the dead a tribute to the living a memory to posterity a token of loyalty to the flag of their country The plaque is starting to show streaks from water damage, but is still readable. The statue is in excellent shape.

Similar in design and execution to other Civil War memorials in the north, this one is located in…read moreEast End Park. The park had been a military parade ground a century ago, making this an apt placement. Summarized from https://chs.org/finding_aides/ransom/132.htm... The memorial was dedicated on May 30, 1905. The original donor, Charles H. Pine (1845-1915) was present. At the age of 16, he served as a drummer in the 19th Connecticut Volunteers and served for three years. The memorial is 27 feet tall and features a soldier in greatcoat and cap, leaning on his upturned rifle. It could be said he is staring off into the distance at those who did not come home from the war. The inscriptions read... 1904 For The Dead A Tribute - For The Living A Memory - For Posterity An Emblem Of Loyalty To The Flag Of Their Country. On the north side... The Gift Of Charles B. Pine In honor of the patriotism and to perpetuate the memory of these 368 brave men who went forth from this town from 1861 to 1865 and periled their all that the nation might live this monument has been erected that all who come after them may be mindful of their deeds and fail not in the day of trial to emulate their example On the column, the battles where they fought... Petersburg * Antietam * Port Hudson * Cold Harbor There is parking along the street next to the park. [Review 1692 of 2024 - 96 in Connecticut - 22715 overall]

This simple and modest World War Two monument is located in the town green where Main Street (Route…read more44) intersects with Park Place (Route 8). The green is a busy place, with all sorts of other markers, monuments, and memorials everywhere. It's a 2-sided marker that on one side honors the 1,551 Winchester citizens that served in the Second World War. The other side honors the 39 from Winchester that were killed in the war The inscriptions read: Dedicated To Those Veterans of W W II Who Paid The Ultimate Price For Freedom In Memory Of The 1551 Men & Women From Winchester Who Served In W W II The statue was dedicated on May 29, 2000. The memorial is a lot smaller than some of the other WW II memorials I have seen. It's also a lot less flashy. It's probably exactly what most members of the Greatest Generation would have wanted.

He is Connecticut's State Hero, and his famous last words are known by every schoolchild in…read moreAmerica. (I sure hope that statement is still true). Born in Coventry, CT, Nathan Hale was an officer in the Continental Army. He was on an espionage mission for General Washington when he was captured in Queens, New York, and hung by the British in Manhattan. He was 21 years old. In 1985, he was officially designated the state hero of Connecticut. The life-sized bronze statue sits on an 8' tall pedestal, and its located on the grass lawn in front of the Wadsworth Atheneum. His right hand is placed over his heart as if he is saluting. The base is inscribed: NATHAN HALE, 1755 - 1776.

On the town green where Bolton Center Road crosses Hebron Road lies a cluster of Veterans Monuments…read morededicated to the generations of Bolton's veterans. It's always powerful to see how a town honors its soldiers across the decades and centuries of history. The centerpiece of this Veterans Park is a three-paneled engraved stone with the names of soldiers that served in Americas late twentieth and early twenty-first century wars - WW II, Korea, Viet Nam, Kuwait, and Afghanistan/Iraq. There's also a lovely old plaque dedicated to the "Bolton Boys" of WW I, and another plaque for WW II, Korea, and Viet Nam. There's a flagpole, a historical marker honoring Rochambeau's army marching through town to aid George Washington's army, and another marker listing the historic sites in town. In its understated simplicity, this is a beautiful tribute to those who defended America across the centuries of history. Nice job, Bolton, CT !.

The Enfield Town Green is a bonanza for those that appreciate Veterans monuments. There are three…read morein pretty close proximity of each other. The newest monument was dedicated in 2012 and it honors the broad spectrum of vets from all branches of the service. It isn't dedicated to those of any specific war, so it really honors all vets across the centuries of American history. It's a gorgeous monument made of high-gloss reflective black granite. It consists of eight columns of variable heights that form a sweeping arc. The six middle columns honor a different branch of the armed forces: Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and Merchant Marine. Each panel carries the respective etched logo and motto for the branch it represents. The two end columns contain these inscriptions. Left Column: "This space is dedicated to the veterans of our community who served the nation in time of danger." Right column: "Some are with us still - Many have gone on ahead - Often they responded to a whisper from within - Others rallied to the call - All gave some - Some gave all." It's an absolutely beautiful monument.

This monument was a joy to conceive. The committee of town folks who worked on it were motivated by…read morea sincere respect for veterans. Some aspects of the design of the monument need to be pointed out. The height of the columns reflect the height of an average person. The sloping tops of the columns and the semi arc of their placement represent "embracing arms". When you stand front and center you will see your reflection in the six major columns. This feature allows the observer to be part of the monument. The overall concept was for the monument to be all inclusive and for all time. The words I wrote for the two flanking columns do not mention a gender, place, time or specific town. As the observer reads the inscription in the "here and now" they realize the inclusiveness of the overall design.

Another example of the seemingly inexhaustible supply of interesting memorials that seem to pop up…read moreunexpectedly in every corner of our state. This one can be found at the intersection of Route 159 (Windsor Avenue) and Deerfield Road. It's on your left as you proceed South on 159. This is an interesting one, because it's dedicated to the veterans of a specific neighborhood of a specific town -namely the Deerfield neighborhood of Windsor, CT. The memorial consists of a plastic globe mounted inside a green metal frame. The frame sits on a concrete base. On the base is an 8 column plaque with approximately 125 names. The plaque's inscription reads "Built by the Residents of the Deerfield section of Windsor to Honor those from the Neighborhood Who Served During World War Two." Behind the memorial is a flagpole, and behind the flagpole there is a series of painted white stones that spell out the letters in "Deerfield", giving it a home-made look. It's a very cool monument.

You don't see that many memorials solely dedicated to the 1898-1902 Spanish-American War, but you…read morewill find this striking monument on a strip of grass in downtown Meriden. I did some research on this monument and learned something about the veterans who fought in the war that won America the lands of Guam, Puerto Rico, and (temporarily) Cuba. World War II soldiers were called "GI Joes", World War One vets were "doughboys", and Spanish-American War vets were called "hikers". There are many variations of a hiker statue across the country commemorating that war -in fact I saw a similar one in Bristol. The Meriden statue portrays a hiker in the uniform of his day -long boots, a wide brimmed hat, his shirt sleeves rolled up, and a rifle held across his body at waist level. A plaque lists approximately 200 names of local men that served in the war. The inscription over the names reads " This memorial presented by the City of Meriden to the veterans of the Spanish American War". The plaque is getting hard to read, and the statue is showing obvious signs of age. Check out the hiker's face -it's an awesome statue.

The first Northern General to get killed in action during the Civil War was born right here, in…read morethis tiny town in the top right corner of Connecticut near the Massachusetts line This is a two-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission in the familiar white lettering on a blue background. It has the same inscriptions on both sides. It's located on a small green across the street from the Bowens Garage. The sign was dedicated in 1980 and remains in good condition