Names To Be Added To The Hoosick Area Veterans Wall

by Bea Peterson
The Veterans Wall with bronze plaques was dedicated in Wood Park in Hoosick Falls on November 11, 2011. For many individuals and families it was a very special moment. For a few others there was disappointment and heartbreak because their name or the name of a loved one was not on the plaques. Co-Chairman of the Wall Committee, Phil Leonard, said, “We spent over a year going over lists of veterans names on record in the Town. We advertised in all the area newspapers and had forms available in the Village and Town offices. We reviewed every 214 form we received so the name would be on the wall.”  Leonard said they knew from the start there would be some names that would be missed. “That’s why we made sure there was space on each plaque to add more names.” Those names will be made individually and then mounted onto the appropriate plaque. This process is costly. There will be a $100 charge to have a name added to the plaque. This may cause a financial hardship for some individuals or families. If it is a hardship, requesters are asked to send what they can. Because of that added cost, the Committee is still collecting Wall funds to help cover the individual plaques.
May 30 Deadline
The form for adding names to the wall is available on the Town of Hoosick Historical Society website and in the Town and Village offices. Individuals and families have until May 30, 2012, to submit the form to the Veterans Wall, P.O. Box 536, Hoosick Falls, NY, 12090. Those still in the active service should send a copy of their service record, along with the form. All other veterans or families should include a copy of the veteran’s 214.
After May 30 the names will be submitted to the manufacturer and turned into individual bronze labels. They will be installed on the Wall for Veterans Day 2012.