North Adams Veteran Raising Funds for Flag Memorial
.jpg) Korean War veteran Enrico Gaspardi, left, and Mayor Richard Alcombright are hoping the community will donate to Gaspardi's flag memorial for the Veterans Memorial Park. |
The Korean War veteran is hoping the community and veterans groups will rally to help him raise the $4,000 in funds needed to place six flag poles at the Veterans Memorial on Route 2 to carry the flags of each of the armed forces divisions and an POW/MIA flag.
"North Adams is my home except for 21 years I served in the service all over the world," the 82-year-old former command sergeant major told the City Council on Wednesday night.
He returned to the city after his military service, and worked for various companies and entities, including the public schools. "You name it I've worked there. I know the city like the palm of my hand."
Gaspardi enlisted in the Army in 1948 and served in Korea from 1950 to 1952, earning the Korean Service Ribbon with five battle stars.
"I've wanted to do this for two years," said Gaspardi. "I met a lot of people in the service, real good people, and I want to make this to honor the veterans — men and women of the United States forces — as an honor to the whole Berkshire County."
The city's fully behind the effort, said Mayor Richard Alcombright, who told the council he had spoken to several other veterans and the city's Veterans Service Officer Stephen R. Roy who all thought it was a great idea.
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Donations should be made Gaspardi's illustration shows the poles in front of the memorial facing east but the mayor said they may be situated inside the park on the grass area in front of the plaques so as not to obscure the lettering on the curved wall.
The estimated cost of the project is $6,000, almost all for the poles. Gaspardi has donated $1,500 and the Cultural Council of Northern Berkshire has donated another $500. The veteran has also offered to pay for the six flags.
Alcombright said the goal is to have the flags flying by Veterans Day on Nov. 11. To ensure that happens, the city is advancing the project some $4,000 from the Veterans Park Account.
On Friday, the mayor and Gaspardi said efforts will be made to raise funds to replenish the Veterans Park Account and they were hoping the community and veterans groups will aid in the effort.
While the account has $7,000 in it right now, those funds are for maintaining the park and expanding it. Alcombright said efforts are under way to add a memorial plaque to the recognize Civil War veterans who hailed from what was then a village of Adams.
Alcombright said the community has taken pride in keeping the memorial looking nice, letting his office know when lights are out or something's wrong. They know the importance of the park, he said, "People in this community recognize that."
Gaspardi said he's seen many monuments. "As you come down Route 2 you'll see that," he said. "This one here will outdo anything out there ... it will do North Adams proud."
Tags: flags, monument, veterans,
