May 26, 2008 5:58 pm US/Eastern
NYC Honors Veterans By Restoring Monument
Reporting
Jay Dow
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
-
-
New York City officials have unveiled a newly refurbished Civil War monument in Manhattan's Riverside Park.
CBS
Irene Principe told CBS 2 HD she remembered a time - decades ago, when the city's Soldiers' and Sailors' Memorial on the Upper West Side was in such bad condition, "you just couldn't come here."
Now, as the nation marks Memorial Day, New York City officials have unveiled a newly refurbished Civil War monument in Manhattan's Riverside Park.
The city and the private Riverside Park Fund have paid more than $1 million for new plantings, chess tables, lighting and other improvements to the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument. The work included cleaning and restoring a pair of 1865 U.S. Army cannons.
The nearly 100-foot-tall marble and granite monument commemorates New York State residents who fought in the Union Army during the Civil War. It was finished in 1902.
"I'm very happy to say that we're on our way to finally getting this monument restored," said Adrian Benepe, NYC Parks Commissioner. "And we've started with the plaza."
In addition to a brand new south plaza, the graffiti has been removed, and visitors can sit on brand new park benches overlooking the Hudson River.
"They're able to stage large events [now.] Our mayor is proud to come here. We're proud to come here," added Principe.
"This year's Memorial Day carries a special sadness for our city. That's because over the past year we've learned of eleven more New Yorkers who died in service of our country," Mayor Bloomberg told a large gathering of veterans at the ceremony held at the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument.
Many veterans feel Memorial Day never gets any easier for them. "It's getting better because as the years come you get used to it, but you always miss our comrades who have passed away, and who we left in some other countries," said Korean War Veteran Thomas Lopez.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
2009 Celebrity Deaths
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
Comments