Memorials such as the Women of the Union Square Post Plaque have been deteriorating at an Inner Belt Road storage lot in crates for the past five years. — Photos Courtesy of George McLean and Thomas Gorman

By Harry Kane

Somerville veterans are requesting updates from the Ballantyne administration regarding the historic veteran war memorials and monuments formerly located on Central Hill, which were removed during the construction of Somerville High School in 2018, and have fallen into disrepair in an outdoor storage lot.

At the city council meeting on January 9, a resolution was put forward requesting that the Vietnam and Korean war memorials be placed at a suitable public location rather than waiting for a comprehensive plan for all memorials and monuments.

“The condition of the war memorials that adorned Central Hill is disgraceful and an insult to our veterans that served and died for our city and country,” said Fire Captain Thomas Gorman, who served during Operation Iraqi Freedom in Kuwait, and is a member of the Veterans’ Commission on Monuments, Memorials and Dedications.

The Vietnam war memorial would be the first to be restored and placed in a public location.

Many of the memorials and monuments were neglected and have deteriorated as a result of being boxed in outdoor crates on Inner Belt Road for over five years, explained Gorman.

“Several of these memorials have fallen into disrepair, with some requiring urgent restoration and others needing complete replacement,” according to a document from the George Dilboy VFW Post 529 and the Disabled American Veterans Chapter 16, written on November 1, 2024.

“The condition of the monuments as they are presently stored is disrespectful to the memory of the citizens of Somerville, some who went voluntarily and some who were chosen to go,” said Gorman. “They gave their life … it’s disturbing that their memory is treated like that.”

In a Somerville Times article from July 31, 2019, entitled, War Memorial and playground planned for Central Hill Campus, written by Erin Nolan, a War Memorial Walk featuring many of the memorials was expected to be started by now.

Nolan wrote: “The War Memorial Walk will run parallel to Highland Avenue and feature a Civil War memorial, memorial cannons, a Unitarian memorial, a Spanish War/ Philippine/ China memorial, a World War I memorial, Dilboy Monument, a Korean War Memorial, a Vietnam War memorial, and an Honor Roll memorial. There will also be space left for a future memorial. During Phase I of the project, the Vietnam War and Korean War monuments are expected to be completed.”

The Spanish War/ Philippine/ China memorial was unveiled on December 9, 1929, and restored in 2010, according to Robert Hardy Jr. of George Dilboy VFW Post 529.

What’s being referred to as the War Memorial Walk or possibly The Walk of Heroes has yet to be started, and questions are swirling at the George Dilboy VFW Post 529, as to when the process will begin.

Gorman says that he thinks the plan to place the war memorials back in front of the high school is just a “stall tactic.”

But for now, veterans just want to get two of their memorials placed in a public location. They are requesting a comprehensive status update on the condition of the all memorials and a clear timeline for the return of the Korean and Vietnam memorials following the restorations.

“Those memorials should be displayed somewhere, as opposed to being kept in storage,” said Gorman.

The Vietnam War memorial is in decent condition, according to officials. The memorial contains names of Somerville and Cambridge soldiers who died and an inscription that reads: WE CAN’T FORGET.

The Korean war memorial would need to be fully restored and reconstructed; it is in pieces that are scattered in different boxes that have deteriorated over the years.

During the State of the City address Mayor Ballantyne promised to “reinstall” the war memorials, explained Ward 4 City Councilor Jesse Clingan at the January 9 city council meeting.

“I think we need to keep the spotlight on this issue,” said Councilor Clingan.

While the city has “grand plans” for a Veterans Memorial Walk, there are a number of “dominos that need to fall into place” for this to happen, explained Ward 1 City Councilor Matthew McLaughlin.

The Civil War monument also known as The Soldiers’ and Sailors’ monument before it was dismantled. Dedicated on May 31, 1909.

The average age of a Vietnam veteran is 68-years-old and the average age of a Korean veteran is 84-years-old, so it is imperative that the process get started, Councilor McLaughlin noted.

“I think they would be satisfied with having the good instead of the perfect,” McLaughlin said. “And just find a permanent location or temporary location…whatever it takes, to acknowledge their sacrifice.”

George McLean, Vietnam veteran and former Somerville police chief says this is a “debacle.” He explained that it is “disheartening” to see the dismantled monuments in what he referred to as a “dump.”

“The boxes have just deteriorated, fallen apart, looks like some of the boxes were vandalized…bits of the monuments sticking out…a soldier’s head. The Vietnam veteran’s memorial, half the box is gone,” McLean said.

Over the last 20 years or so, Somerville has been gentrified, explained McLean, and many veterans say that the city has lost interest in honoring the legacy of soldiers.

“We feel that the new Somerville people who live here really don’t care much about the veterans,” McLean said. “And if they kick the can down the road long enough, those of us that are left will be dead.”

City councilors are now onboard with advocating for a “tangible plan” to get the memorials and monuments restored and to be “placed somewhere in the city where they get the respect, the dignity, the tribute, that we feel they so richly deserve,” McLean says.

The idea of a Hero’s Memorial Walk with a garden and all of the memorials and monuments in one location on Central Hill is what veterans like McLean say they ultimately would like to see happen, but for the time being they would like to see the landmark Vietnam and Korean war memorials prominently placed in a public location where citizens can stop, reflect and pay homage to soldiers who died to serve and protect the country.

Back on November 14, 2024, veterans gathered to address the city council regarding restoration and reinstallation efforts of monuments and memorials. Councilors Wilfred N. Mbah and Matthew McLaughlin put forth the order to address the concerns raised by Somerville veterans and ensure transparency, accountability and a commitment to engage with veterans to preserve the memorials and monuments.

“It represents the veterans who grew up in the city, many of them who died fighting for our country,” McLean said during a November 14 city council meeting. “We can pay tribute to them and teach the young people of our community of Somerville’s history and the veterans’ history.”

Vietnam veteran Robert Hardy Jr. from the George Dilboy VFW Post 529 said that there was an agreement with the city that the monuments would be replaced at the same time as the landscaping and playground following the completion of the high school project. But that never happened, he explained.

At the November 14 meeting Hardy Jr. described the Korean war memorial as the one that is “most destroyed.” He said that some of the benches and sculptures are broken in the Civil War monument, also known as the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ monument.

“Is it going to be another 10 years before we are going to get it done?” he said.

Hardy Jr. also described cobblestones, pillars and two cannons that were used in the monuments that have apparently disappeared.

“If you don’t know what the veterans represent, shame on you!” Hardy Jr. said.

Operation Desert Storm veteran Steve Hanson from the Disabled American Veterans Chapter 16 said: “We are all appalled at the length of time it’s taken to move on getting this situation resolved.”

According to a December 9 document addressed to members of the City Council Public Utilities Public Works Committee: “The city is moving forward with plans to preserve and protect those veterans’ monuments.”

The document cites a building referred to as the Talewsky property that could be used to store the monuments and memorials before the restoration process starts.

The next Veterans’ Commission on Monuments, Memorials and Dedications meeting will be held on Wednesday January 22, 12 – 1 p.m. This meeting is remote only. Link to register for Attendees: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_H9Jb3OmnQa-JvNYWGMOEaA

Veterans gathered on November 14 to address the city council with the hopes of starting the process to begin reinstalling the monuments and memorials.