To The Editor:
There are local veterans’ organizations that are in the process of rehabbing and upgrading Memory Lane on Atlantic Avenue in Wildwood. The American Legion Post 184 and the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 955 made this commitment to the city fathers that we would upgrade and maintain the park. We have been doing several things to start this process.
We have discovered there are at least two names missing that deserve crosses and there is a World War One monument that we are considering moving from about a mile away. The names that are on crosses represent members killed during war time in World Wars I and II and Vietnam. We did not lose any servicemen during Korea or post-Vietnam.
And the names are not just of Wildwood residents, they are from the entire island. We intend to leave the park basically the way it is but add lighting, move and relocate electrical fixtures, repair and replace concrete and trim the trees. The estimated cost of this project is $40,000 and we are in the process of raising the funds to start the project and keep it going until completed.
This takes time and we want to do it right. While Stephen Uchnait states that no one cares, he could have looked a little further. As a chapter president he has access to other veterans’ organizations and their officers. He could have made contact with several members and not picked on us in public. He should also have been aware that for the past 60 years, there have been ceremonies on Memorial Day at Memory Lane as well as other times during the year.
We, as veterans, appreciate the efforts of Diane and Robert Baker and thank them for their work and money spent on this special area in Wildwood. We have not, and will not, ask the city to fund this project. Just like the Wall at the east end of the park, the local veterans’ organizations will maintain this end of the park.
The wall project took a couple of years of planning, and over $500,000 — all donations and in kind services and countless hours of volunteer time. We will get this project done; we will not ask the taxpayers to fund this. We are not Avalon that can write a blank check, and we will all be proud of this park as we are now and have been for over 60 years.
BILL DAVENPORT
Wildwood
(ED NOTE: Davenport is secretary of Chapter 955, Vietnam Veterans of America, Wildwood)
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