New monument marks re-dedication of Sanborn Park

While celebrations and memorial services drew hundreds of people throughout the Lakes Region and New Hampshire on Veterans' Day this past Saturday, a solemn, almost private ceremony was held in remembrance of Laconia's first casualty in the Korean War.

Organized by his cousin, Jim Reever, with help from Laconia Parks and Recreation, neighborhood volunteers, and the American Legion Post No. 1, the observance marked a re-dedication of Sanborn Park with the placement of a new, granite monument to replace a plaque recognizing the service of Private John L. Sanborn.

Sanborn, an 18 year-old Lakeport resident who grew up on Mechanic Street and enlisted in the U.S. Army on his 17th birthday on June 5, 1949, was killed in action on Sept. 5, 1950, merely three weeks after being deployed to the front lines as part of the First Cavalry Division. Twenty-three years later, on Veterans' Day, November 11, 1973, a small park in Lakeport was named in his honor.

"We donated the flagpole and dedicated the park," remembered Jim Dupont, who in 1973 was the commander of the American Legion Post No. 1. Though Dupont is no longer certain of all of the details surrounding the naming of the park in Sanborn's honor, he recalls that the decision was made to create a memorial to all Korean War veterans following the installation of a flagpole and memorial to Vietnam veterans at Bayside Cemetery.

This year, a contingent from the American Legion, including Commander Geoffrey Dixey, was on hand again, along with family and friends of the fallen hero. Relatives as far away as Connecticut and upstate New York traveled home for the occasion, including Sanborn's sister, Patricia Sanborn-Johnson, who was also present at the 1973 dedication.

"I was really pleased with the turnout," Reever said, noting the presence of nephews, nieces, first cousins, and family members of more recent generations, many of whom never had the chance to know the young soldier. "It was an honor to have been invited to help organize this event."

According to Reever, the re-dedication was prompted by an offer made to the American Legion by an anonymous donor to cover the expense of the new monument. "Joe Couture (Legion member) called me and asked if I could contact the family and put together a ceremony for Veterans' Day," Reever explained. "He said someone who wished to remain unidentified was prepared to pay to for a stone memorial."

Not only did Reever send out invitations and make telephone calls to relatives, he also spent several hours researching at the Laconia Library the published reports of John Sanborn's death. The Laconia Evening Citizen broke the news in an article on Monday, September 18, 1950 under the headline "Pvt. John Sanborn Killed at Front — First Laconia Man to Die in Korea Enlisted on 17th Birthday"

"The death of the first Laconia GI in the Korean campaign was reported to his mother in Lakeport yesterday morning," the newspaper reported. "Mrs. Neva D. Sanborn of 150 Mechanic Street was notified in a telegram from the War department that her son, Pvt. John L. Sanborn, 18, had lost his life on the Korean front."

The story went on to report that Sanborn had only been in Korea for three weeks when he was killed "...during the heavy fighting on September 5. The Lakeport soldier enlisted at the Forestry building and received his training at Fort Meade, Maryland. He had requested training with the Armored Cavalry command and was a tank gunner in Korea."

The newspaper recounted as well Sanborn's family's long history of military service, pointing out that his father, Guy Sanborn had served in World War I, and that his grandfathers and great grandfathers had all been in battle. It also noted that his uncle, Staff Sgt. Charles D. Reever, who at the time was stationed in Japan, was about to be deployed to Korea. Reever was also a veteran of World War I and World War II, and became one of the few to have served in all three wars.

"I am honored to represent the family of John L. Sanborn, for whom this neighborhood park is named," Jim Reever remarked at the opening of last Saturday's ceremony. "John grew up just a short distance down the street from here at 150 Mechanic Street."

Reever went on to add, "It is fitting on this day when we honor our nation's veterans that we re-dedicate this neighborhood park in John’s memory,"