Monument being considered for Veteran’s Park
NORWALK — A multi-war monument honoring residents who served, dating back to the Revolutionary War, is under consideration for Norwalk’s Veteran’s Park.
Military and Veteran’s Liaison Committee Chair Jeff DeWitt discussed the proposed monument at the group’s meeting Monday.
“The thought is to have a monument about each war and have words to the effect of ‘Norwalk thanks its residents who fought for freedom in the XYZ War, may we always remember their service,’” DeWitt said Tuesday.
“This is really only in my head right now. I’ve never seriously proposed it in any committee. This would need the usual levels of signoff from agencies in City Hall. I think it’s possible, but I’m an optimist. Properly planned, this would be a great healing place for veterans, their families, and the public.”
The monument, while still in the conceptual stages, would not include the names of Norwalkers who served or died during the wars, as those names are listed elsewhere (either in the alcove of City Hall or at the Shea-Magrath Monument or the Town Green), DeWitt said.
The idea draws from other nearby municipalities that have constructed similar tributes, namely the monument of similar design in Danbury.
“The concept is to place a monument every 5 feet or so on the left and right side of the brick sidewalk leading from Seaview Avenue,” DeWitt said. “Each monument will honor a war that Norwalk residents participated in. The idea is to do this chronologically starting with the Revolutionary War, then funding one or two a year until it’s complete.”
The entire monument could take between 10 and 15 years to complete.
“There is very little in the park that reflects its name —Veteran’s Park,” DeWitt said. “The idea was born out of the city approving a monument honoring
Norwalk’s combat wounded, a Purple Heart Medal monument. That approval by the city of Norwalk, lent itself to discussions about how to expand the sidewalk in order to honor all Norwalk’s veterans who served during wartime.”
In July, the Common Council’s Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs Committee fielded DeWitt’s idea for a monument honoring the city’s Purple Heart recipients, but questions arose over funding for the project.
Roughly $22,000 was secured for the project in September and led to the idea of expanding the city’s war monuments. The project was the largest expense the Military and Veteran’s Liaison Committee requested since its founding in 2018.
City spokesperson Josh Morgan said while the city is aware of DeWitt’s idea, it has not been submitted as a formal proposal.
“Rather, this was more of an informal topic of discussion,” Morgan said. “We appreciate the energy and enthusiasm of Mr. DeWitt and the Military and Veterans Liaison Committee which are bringing in new ideas and plans to help us honor and remember the brave men and women who have served our country.”
There is no cost estimate on the proposed war monument. Annually, the Military Committee has a budget of about $5,000, Norwalk Superintendent of Parks and Public Property Ken Hughes has said.
“Funding will be a priority,” DeWitt said of the multi-war monument. “It can be funded privately by using a site such as fundraisingbrick.com, where residents purchase a brick for the sidewalk and part of the proceeds would go towards the monument. Public-private partnership would be another option.”
For now, the committee is focused on hosting “The Wall That Heals” from June 2-5.
In 2019 the city applied to be part of the wall’s national 2020 tour, which was largely canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Norwalk reapplied in May for the coming year’s tour, DeWitt said. The Wall that Heals is a mobile, three-quarter-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.
The $10,000 fee for hosting the wall will be covered by funds from the Recreation and Parks Department budget.
“We are still going to do fundraising,” DeWitt said. “There’s a lot of ancillary costs that come with hosting. There’s fencing, feeding the volunteers, cases of water, tents, all kinds of things that need to be done.”