MIDDLETOWN – The township and the American Legion Post 338 will become partners in order to restore a local World War I monument.
The American Legion Post 338 has made a $1,000 donation to help fund the repairs needed for the circa 1930 monument.
Commander Ron Stark and legion member Tom Garretson presented the donation at the October Township Committee meeting. The two men are also members of the township’s Veterans’ Affairs Committee.
The project is scheduled to get underway in 2017.
The work will include repairs to the life-size doughboy statue, which stands at attention in full uniform with the barrel of a rifle in his right hand and the butt of the rifle on the ground.
The figure is set upon a granite base, square in cross-section, with an angled top, resting on a rusticated granite slab. A bronze plaque mounted on the front of the pedestal contains the names of several dozen WWI veterans from Belford, Port Monmouth and New Monmouth.
Mayor Gerard Scharfenberger is enthusiastic about the project and what it stands for.
“Our doughboy statue is symbolic of the township’s enduring respect for our courageous World War I veterans.” he said. “We’re grateful to American Legion Post 338 for partnering with us to restore this significant monument.”
The Veteran Commemorative Street Sign Program is an additional township event that honors and supports local veterans.
More than 50 signs are being installed township-wide to pay tribute to the veterans killed in action from World War I until now. The program is managed by the volunteers of the Veterans Affairs Committee, with support from the Public Works Department.
As part of the Honorary Veterans Parking Program, the township is also working to add designated parking spaces for veterans at Town Hall, the Middletown Library, and Poricy Park.