The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
FACES OF N.Y.’S FALLEN SOLDIERS
Memorial Wall at Oneida American Legion closes today
ONEIDA, N.Y. >> Putting a name with a face not only helps honor soldiers who died serving, but drives home the fact they had lives beyond their service to the country.
“I haven’t been able to see them all yet. I’ve only been able to do six panels so far. I just can’t,” said Tom Baker, Sons of the American Legion adjutant.
The New York State Memorial Wall on display at the Oneida American Legion Post 169 features the names and pictures of those who died overseas in the War on Terror. Baker said he plans to read each name of each person, but by the end of that sixth panel, it hit him howmany soldiers died from Central New York.
“Chittenango, Holland Patent, Waterville,” Baker said. “We know of Jeremy Lasher because he’s a hometown guy. I’m from Camden and I know of Elijah Park. A lot of these guys who are local, I’ve never heard of them. I don’t understand why. They’re just as important as any other person who has fallen.”
Baker said once the momentum gets going, the plan is to bring the New York State Memorial Wall to other American Legions
andmake it more available.
The NYS Memorial Wall is a traveling memorial created by Laurene Sandstrom and her husband, both from Orange County, to honor the fallen and make sure their faces are seen. Baker said Sandstrom had visited the Oneida American Legion around a year ago and became quick friends with the Legion.
“We got to talking and asked if they were going to be available for Memorial Day,” Baker said. “Well, they said they’ve had this standard gig they did for some insurance company and they might not. So I asked if they could check their calendars for open dates when they got back home because we wanted to see it.”
Shortly after, Baker said they were informed the NYS Memorial Wall would be available to the Oneida American Legion come Memorial Day. “They’ve committed to us until they throw them out,” Baker said.
The wall has been on display for the past week and something many in the community have wanted to see. Baker said there were a few veterans who very much wanted to see the wall, but wouldn’t get out of work until 11:30 p.m.
“I told them ‘ Yeah, I’ll make the Legion available to you at about 11 p.m.’,” Baker said.
Another veteran, Baker said, actually served with two people on the wall.
“It was Friday night and he was with two people on the wall the night they died,” Baker said. “Michael Uvanni of Rome and Nathan Brown from Glenns Falls. He watched them die. It’s an exceptionally emotional thing. He is struggling with PTSD and didn’t even know it was here. He came in after the parade and saw the panel.”
After it was explained to the veteran, Baker said, he ordered two shots from the bar: one for both Uvanni and Brown.
Baker said thewall brings a special touch that makes people realize they’re standing in front of a person.
“Certain families have it beat into them from the deaths, but there are others who don’t really think a lot about it,” Baker said. “This makes you think. A lot of these people were 18, 19, 20. They don’t get our life.”
Thewall will be available until Thursday night when it will be broken down for its next trip. Visit the Oneida American Legion 398 N. Main St in Oneida. The Oneida American Legion opens at 11:30 a.m.