This memorial was dedicated on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend 2016. You'll find it near the…read moreHopmeadow Road entrance to the Simsbury Library. Simsbury has various veterans memorials spread out among the town, but a few of them were not very accessible to the public. But with the opening of this beauty, that is no longer the case. This monument honors the 98 Simsbury soldiers across the generations that gave the ultimate sacrifice from the Revolutionary War through the War against Terrorism. The names are grouped by each war or conflict and are engraved on stone columns. You'll also see brick pavers on the ground honoring veterans and a sweeping arch representing a historic timeline of the wars. There's a lot to see here. What a beautiful job.

This is a beautiful and thoughtful plot of land. It was created in honor of the veterans who served…read morevarious wars throughout history. It's located in a busy intersection of West Hartford. The memorial is a circular wall of granite blocks, which is a Wall of Peace. Some of the blocks were intentionally created to look like it was toppled over, which represents the time of war and conflict. Around the wall is a walkway created with engraved pavers; it's engraved with the names of soldiers who have served and fallen. There is a green grassy space inside the wall of peace, called the Court of Honor. There was soil brought from cemeteries, battlefields, and prison camps as well as water from the oceans; it was placed in the grassy area of the memorial. I thought that was intriguing and honorable. Overall, a very well thought out memorial and worth a visit to pay respect to the fallen.

If you've ever approached the center of West Hartford by driving south on Main Street, you may have…read morenoticed a small town green on your right, where Main hits Farmington Avenue. This is the site of one of the most unique, thoughtful, detailed, artistic, and thought provoking memorials I have ever seen. Welcome to the Connecticut Veterans Memorial. It honors all branches of the armed forces who answered the call of service from the King Philip War of pre-independence America through the Global War on Terror of today. The memorial is essentially a spiral sculpture representing the flow of time across the decades and centuries of our history. The spiral takes the form of granite blocks arranged in a large circle. The circle is unbroken during times of peace, but is disrupted during times of war, when the slabs representing that period of time are uprooted from their normal position. They end up looking as if they were pushed aside and tumbled by an earthquake or tossed aside in anger by an unseen hand. Each of these uprooted blocks bears the names of West Hartford vets who gave their lives during that time period. There are pavers on the ground known as "the Walk of Remembrance" with the engraved names of any veteran who served in the US armed forces on the bricks. Soil from Over 150 US and 39 international battlefields and cemeteries was donated to the project, as was water from Pearl Harbor and the world's seven oceans. This beautiful, creative, artistic, and very thoughtful memorial was dedicated on May 21, 2006

A very simple memorial plaque located in Bloomfield's town green. Encased inside a stone memorial,…read morethe plaque lists those who died in WW 1 from the town of Bloomfield. The inscription reads "Roll of Honor Town of Bloomfield 1914 World War 1919". The names of ninety two Bloomfield natives that perished during the Great War are listed in alphabetical order. The village green hosts many war memorials, as those for WW I, Korea, Viet Nam, and WW II circle the huge Drummer Boy Statue for the Revolutionary War. Great job Bloomfield for recognizing the many generations of your war dead!

This memorial is located in historic Collinsville, on the corner of River and Bridge Streets and…read moreerected in 2001. It sits across from the Farmington River as well as the Collinsville walking trail, boat ramp, and flower bridge. The showstopper is the old cannon. This cannon was built in New York for World War I. The memorial is for those who sacrificed their lives in the World, Korean, and Vietnam Wars. There's a stone engraved with all the soldiers' names that served and were from Canton/Collinsville. Here is a quote on the marker: "In grateful memory of the men who died in the service of their country and in recognition to all men and women who served that freedom might live, this monument stands so that future generations will always remember."

When driving on Rte. 179 in Collinsville, you might glimpse a huge gun by the side of the road…read morefacing North. No, it's not an old-fashioned GPS, but a World War One carriage gun that shares a small Town Green with a Veterans Memorial and a flagpole. The monument is shaped in a "V" and lists the names of Canton's veterans who perished in World War One (5 names), World War Two (16 names), the Korean War (2 names), and the Viet Nam War (2 names). There is an American flag inscribed at the top left corner of the "V". An inscription on the left side reads: In grateful memory of the men who died in the service of their country and in recognition to all men and women who served that freedom might live this monument stands so that future generations may always remember. A flagpole with the American flag and Vietnam MIA flag share the site with the gun and monument

The impressive memorial monument is located at the front entrance of the Main Fire Station in…read moreSimsbury. It has a small hexagonal top connected to a larger hexagonal base via six columns -it has the look of a cupola. Each of the upper panels is inscribed with the name of the six fire stations in Simsbury. There is a bronze fireman's hat on top and a silver fire bell below. The monument honors one firefighter in particular, and all deceased firemen from Simsbury. The monument's bronze plaque reads: "Frank R. Bradley Memorial In April of 1944, seventeen men stepped forward to form what would become the Simsbury Volunteer Fire Company. Frank Bradley was one of those original seventeen. In June of that year the Simsbury Fire District was created, followed closely by the creation of the Simsbury Volunteer Fire Company with the joint responsibility to provide fire protection for the residents of Simsbury. On July 6th, 1944, Frank Bradley, his wife Helen, and their two young daughters were attending the matinee performance of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus in Hartford, CT. Shortly after the show started, fire erupted across the big top. In a matter of seconds, mass panic erupted as the spectators stormed towards the exits in all directions. Tragically, Frank and Helen Bradley became separated from their two daughters. Neither of the parents would emerge from the big top alive. Frank Bradley, that day, became the first deceased member of the Simsbury Volunteer Fire Company. It is in his name that Simsbury Volunteer Fire Company honors all of our deceased members who have served the community with dedications and pride." Many of the bricks surrounding the monument have been inscribed with the names of Simsbury's deceased firefighters. In front of the monument there is a plaque fastened into the bricks. The plaque's contains the Simsbury Volunteer Fire Sept crest and it's inscription reads: In The Line Of Duty Inscribed Here Are The Names Of Those Who Have Died In Serves To Their Community Lt. Richard F. Kelleher November 6, 1981

The Enfield Town Green is a bonanza for those that appreciate Veterans monuments. There are three…read morein pretty close proximity of each other. The newest monument was dedicated in 2012 and it honors the broad spectrum of vets from all branches of the service. It isn't dedicated to those of any specific war, so it really honors all vets across the centuries of American history. It's a gorgeous monument made of high-gloss reflective black granite. It consists of eight columns of variable heights that form a sweeping arc. The six middle columns honor a different branch of the armed forces: Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and Merchant Marine. Each panel carries the respective etched logo and motto for the branch it represents. The two end columns contain these inscriptions. Left Column: "This space is dedicated to the veterans of our community who served the nation in time of danger." Right column: "Some are with us still - Many have gone on ahead - Often they responded to a whisper from within - Others rallied to the call - All gave some - Some gave all." It's an absolutely beautiful monument.

This monument was a joy to conceive. The committee of town folks who worked on it were motivated by…read morea sincere respect for veterans. Some aspects of the design of the monument need to be pointed out. The height of the columns reflect the height of an average person. The sloping tops of the columns and the semi arc of their placement represent "embracing arms". When you stand front and center you will see your reflection in the six major columns. This feature allows the observer to be part of the monument. The overall concept was for the monument to be all inclusive and for all time. The words I wrote for the two flanking columns do not mention a gender, place, time or specific town. As the observer reads the inscription in the "here and now" they realize the inclusiveness of the overall design.

You don't see that many memorials solely dedicated to the 1898-1902 Spanish-American War, but you…read morewill find this striking monument on a strip of grass in downtown Meriden. I did some research on this monument and learned something about the veterans who fought in the war that won America the lands of Guam, Puerto Rico, and (temporarily) Cuba. World War II soldiers were called "GI Joes", World War One vets were "doughboys", and Spanish-American War vets were called "hikers". There are many variations of a hiker statue across the country commemorating that war -in fact I saw a similar one in Bristol. The Meriden statue portrays a hiker in the uniform of his day -long boots, a wide brimmed hat, his shirt sleeves rolled up, and a rifle held across his body at waist level. A plaque lists approximately 200 names of local men that served in the war. The inscription over the names reads " This memorial presented by the City of Meriden to the veterans of the Spanish American War". The plaque is getting hard to read, and the statue is showing obvious signs of age. Check out the hiker's face -it's an awesome statue.

I see Dan R.'s review from 10 years ago about this historical marker. Here is my update:…read more The historical marker is located in Union Park. There is a gazebo and a soldier's monument on the same property. The historical marker looked pretty well-kempt; the navy blue was bright and not too faded and the letters were legible. I didn't see any rust or damage. I like reading these markers because it gives me a brief history lesson about the area. It was home to the Wangunk Indian Tribe and located at the bend of the Connecticut River. From this river, ships sailed to the West Indies and ports in the East Coast for trade. It is the halfway point between Saybrook and Windsor, hence the name Middle Town. In 1784, it became one of the 5 cities in Connecticut. Overall, it's a vibrant community; I enjoyed exploring the area and visiting this historical marker.

Ever wonder what the "middle" in Middletown refers to? C"mon,,, admit it,,, sure you have…read more Well it refers to "halfway between Saybrook and Windsor". There's a ton of more information on this plaque - like Middletown is one of the five oldest towns in the state, and it was a center of resistance to the Brits during the Revolution. This is a two-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission in the familiar white lettering on a blue background. It has different inscriptions on each side, and is located just off Main Street in Union Park. . It was dedicated in 1981 and the blue paint and white lettering are in pretty good shape. There is no cracking or peeling, but the blue background is just starting to fade a little. The full inscription reads: The area known as Mattabesett, home of the Wangunk Indian tribe, was settled by English colonists from Hartford and Wethersfield in 1650. Situated at the big bend in the Connecticut River, it was named Middletown because it lay halfway between Saybrook and Windsor. Its location on the "Great Tidal River" led to a prosperous shipping economy during the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. From Middletown, ships sailed to ports along the East Coast and in the West Indies. Crafts and trades such as pewter making and shipbuilding flourished, as did agriculture in the surrounding countryside. During the Revolutionary War, Middletown became a center of resistance to the British Crown. Many of its citizens, including such men as Jabez Hamlin; Nehemiah and Elijah Hubbard; Titus Hosmer, Esquire; General Comfort Sage; Colonel Return Jonathan Meigs; and Colonel John Sumner, played important roles in the struggle for American independence. ( back ) The town was incorporated as a city in 1784, one of the first five in Connecticut. Commodore Thomas Macdonough, an outstanding naval officer in the War of 1812 against Great Britain, made his home in Middletown and was buried here in Riverside cemetery. Long the seat of the Court of Middlesex County, Middletown became the site of Wesleyan University in 1831. General Joseph K. F. Mansfield, killed in action at the Battle of Antietam in 1862, and numerous other Middletown men served bravely in the 1861-1865 war to preserve the Union of the North American States. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, immigrants arrived from Ireland, Sweden, Germany, Poland, and Italy, but most notably from the Sicilian town of Melilli. These later arrivals helped to enrich the fabric of the community and, together with others who followed, gave to the City the diverse and cosmopolitan quality it has today. Erected by The City of Middletown The Middlesex County Historical Society The Connecticut Historical Commission 1981