On Veterans’ Day, the city of Bridgeport dedicated a monument to its Korean War heroes.
The new monument joins the World War II memorial dedicated in June, the 1932 World War memorial and the 1983 Vietnam memorial at the western end of McLevy Hall, a former City Hall building that hosted an 1860 speech by Abraham Lincoln.
The monument, built to your right as you face the World War II memorial, lists the names of 29 city residents lost in the Korean conflict. It also includes a quote from Harry S. Truman describing the war as well as two Bible verses. A map of Korea stands in front of the monument.
We were unfortunately unable to attend the dedication ceremony, but according to Connecticut Post coverage, nearly 200 veterans and family members were thanked for their service.
The plaza containing the war memorials, named after Bridgeport resident Col. Henry Mucci (who organized a rescue operation of Bataan Death March survivors) has changed this year to accommodate the new monuments. (Col. Mucci has also been honored with a local highway, but the plaza is probably a more dignified tribute.)
As you can see in images from previous visits, the Vietnam memorial that stood in the center the plaza has been moved to the left of the World War II memorial, and a memorial brick walkway has been added.
Congratulations to local veterans for this well-deserved honor, and to city officials for their efforts in recognizing the contributions and sacrifices made by local heroes.
World War and Vietnam monuments, February 2009
