Ridgewood September 28, 2011 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • Page 5 Honors for war dead, Gold Star Mothers endorsed by John Koster The Ridgewood Village Council has endorsed plans to honor the dead of America’s wars and Gold Star Mothers. Taking time out from last week’s work session to declare a special public meeting, Mayor Keith Killion, a Vietnam War veteran, joined the council in accepting finalized plans for a refurbished monument to the American dead of World War I. The council also approved illumination displays in honor of Gold Star Mothers, women whose sons or daughters died in military service. The council voted to accept the 2011 Veterans Day Proposal of American Legion Post 53, as researched by American Legion member Chris Stout, who has spoken at previous meetings but was not present last week. The proposal as accepted includes a bronze memorial plaque listing the 14 Ridgewood residents who were killed, or died as a direct result of their military service in World War I, that will be placed on the badge building at Graydon Pool, an interpretative panel that will explain the origin of Graydon Park that will be placed at the Linwood Avenue entrance, and the planting of a symbolic tree that will be planted inside the Linwood Avenue entrance to Graydon Park. Research by Stout indicated that, in the aftermath of World War I, each of the 14 deceased veterans had been honored with an individual tree marked by a separate plaque bearing his name. While most of the World War I soldiers were killed fighting in France, one sailor was killed by “friendly fire” in the North Atlantic, two pilots were killed in training accidents with the high-performance Frenchmade SPAD pursuit airplane, and one died of influenza some months after the war and own military service had ended. All of them, however, served honorably and died as a direct result of military service in “the war to end wars.” Over the years, the majority of the plaques disappeared. Some plaques were stolen or lost, and others were engulfed by the trees. In fact, one plaque broke a chainsaw when the host tree was cut down. The American Legion found donors to pay for the refurbishment of the World War I markers at no cost to the taxpayers, and the council had long since approved the concept of a restored monument, but wanted to make sure the details would be acceptable both to the veterans and to the community as a whole. Deputy Mayor Thomas Riche has volunteered to play “Taps” at the ceremony on Nov. 11, and the entire council warmly approved the effort to honor the dead of World War I. The council also approved an initiative by Maria Bombace, whose son is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran with two deployments in Iraq and is now a Ridgewood firefighter. Bombace proposed the illumination of parts of Van Neste Park with luminaria in honor of those less fortunate mothers whose sons or daughters did not return from military service. “Ms. Bombace led the charge on this one,” Mayor Killion said. The bags which hold the candles are marked with gold stars to commemorate the sacrifices by the Gold Star Mothers. Mayor Killion formally proclaimed Sunday, Sept. 25 as Gold Star Mother Day and read a proclamation explaining that mothers of service members had been given blue service stars to place on their front doors or fly on small flags during World War I showing that they had sons in the (continued on page 10)