LACONIA — A small committee from American Legion Post 1 and Veterans of Foreign War Post 1670 is seeking to erect a new monument in Veteran's Square. The group plans to honor local Veterans of the post-Vietnam era. Preliminary approval and space has been granted by city officials. The park currently contains monuments to Laconia and Gilford residents who served in the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. Due to restricted space available, the proposal involves the installation of a four-sided obelisk in the corner of the park.
The face of the obelisk will feature a dedication and bronze disks for the five branches of military service. The three sides will contain plaques for each operation after April 30, 1975, the end of the Vietnam War. Each plaque will contain the names of Laconia and Gilford Veterans who participated in the campaign or operation. Additionally, a plaque will be dedicated to the thousands of local Veterans who served during the Cold War. By agreement with city officials, the plaques will be cast in a similar style to existing monuments.
The committee has identified thirteen qualifying campaigns and operations, including Lebanon 1982-1983, Grenada 1983, Panama 1989-1990, Kosovo 1990, Persian Gulf War 1990-1991, Bosnia and Herzegovina 1992-1996, Somalia 1992-1995, Haiti 1994, Afghanistan 2001-2020, Iraq 2003-2017, Libya 2011-Present, Syria 2014-Present, and the Yemeni Civil War 2015-Present.
Local Veterans interested in having their names appear will be asked to provide proof of service and residency. A commonly accepted document is the DD-214, but other official documents will be evaluated case by case. Due to restricted space, Veterans who served in more than one operation will be asked to select one. Applications to appear on the monument will be collected until December 31.
To contribute, mail a check to Veterans Memorial Restoration Fund, c/o Bank of New Hampshire, 62 Pleasant St., Laconia, NH 03246.
For further information, contact Dan O’Connell at 1sgdan12z50@gmail.com.
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