CURWENSVILLE – A committee in Curwensville is determined to raise $60,000 to construct a memorial by mid-summer to honor the nearly 800 local men and women who served in World War II, according to Doug Bloom, co-chairman.
“As a community, Curwensville has yet to honor those men and women with a memorial,” states a letter, which details the committee’s efforts. “It’s time we recognize the sacrifices of all of those who have bravely served our country during World War II.”
The letter continued, stating that “Soon all of our living World War II veterans will no longer be with us. It is important to construct a memorial that honors the living as well as deceased veterans of World War II.”
The new memorial will be constructed of sandstone from a local quarry with each of the men’s and women’s names inscribed on attached plaques, stated Bloom. He noted that all of the stone for the project is being donated by Danny Russell of Russell Stone Products; Korb Monuments of DuBois will do the plaque work.
The new memorial will be constructed at the Curwensville Memorial Park, which is also home to the World War I Doughboy and Civil War Bucktail Memorials. The new memorial was designed by Clearfield native, Jaime Ryan-Gisewhite, stated Bloom.
According to him, in order to show appreciation, any individual, company or organization contributing $1,000 or more towards the new memorial project will have their name inscribed on a paver. In addition, anyone contributing $5,000 or more will have their name inscribed on one of the large landscape stones.
Committee members ask individuals, businesses and organizations to make a contribution towards a “worthy” World War II Memorial project to the Curwensville-Pike Township Historical Society., P.O. Box 3, Curwensville, PA 16833.
“Remember, World War II veterans gave their all for us, so we can enjoy the freedoms we have today,” stated Bloom. “Please help us honor those who gave so much with a contribution for the construction of this memorial.”
Additional information can be found on the Curwensville Borough Web site and Facebook page, including the list of veterans’ names for the memorial.
