Interpreting
the Past - Research by the Windham Town Historian
Honor a Veteran Project, Part 1 - Windham's Civil War Book
Honor
a Veteran Project, Part
2 - Catskill Mountain Post No. 1545, VFW Renamed for Sgt. James F. Carty
Honor
a Veteran Project, Part
3 - Windham's World War I Monument in Hensonville
Honor
a Veteran Project, Part 4- Maplecrest's World War II Roll of Honor
Honor
a Veteran, Part 5 - Windham Township Honor Roll
Honor
a Veteran Project, Part 6 - WAJ Roll of Honor, Graduates and Members of the
Faculty
Honor a Veteran Project, Part 7 - National Bank of Windham's World War II Honor Roll Poster
by Patricia Morrow, Windham Town Historian
Originally published in the May 12, 2005, issue of the Windham Journal.
The Windham Township Honor Roll, honoring the citizens of this
community who served during World War II, was funded by private and civic
donations. It was erected on the front lawn of Windham-Ashland-Jewett Central
School where it was dedicated and unveiled on May 31, 1944.
Approximately three hundred people were in attendance as various town
organizations assembled in the school building at 2 P.M., then marched into
position around the Honor Roll. George W. Osborn, the Windham Town Supervisor,
was Master of Ceremonies. The program opened with the audience singing the
national anthem and the invocation given by Rev. William L. Comstock. This was
followed by speakers Raymond L. French, Past County Commander of the American
Legion, and Dr. Edwin G. Mulbury, Chairman of the Honor Roll Committee, who gave
a history of the project. A musical selection by the school's ensemble and
chorus, directed by Mrs. Charles Laubach, was followed by the dedicatory address
given by Principal Burdette E. Woodworth. The monument was unveiled by members
of the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, namely Helen Aeschbach and Margaret Newland
representing the Hensonville and Windham troops respectively, and Patrick
Madigan and Richard Miller of Windham Troop 51. The school orchestra, directed
by Miss Althea E. Thompson, accompanied the singing of "America" and
Rev. Arthur O. Stockbridge delivered the benediction.
The Honor Roll listed the following one hundred and ten names in six columns.
(Column 1) Levere Acker, Paul Finch, John Garraghan, Oscar Case, Richard Fancher,
Hubert Bailey, Stanley Christman, Albert Rusk, Frank Haner, Orson Wetmore,
Clinton Seeley, Dr. H. F. Weinauer, Ernest Furgason, Robert Boughter, Romaine
Rusk, Elmer Munson, Earl Ostrander, Joseph Begley, Jack Fish, William Schuchman
(Column 2) Myron Hidecker, Fred Makely, Ross Spaulding, Douglass Goff, Elbert
Chase, Donovan Brockett, Leslie Alberti, Sherwood Seabolt, John Ruiz, Clifford
Planck, Robert Tompkins, Francis Barry, William Schwitter, Albert Hoyt, Edward
Pond, Beatrice Wheat, Viola Soehl, Clifford Westley
(Column 3) John Darrin, Donovan Andrus, Elwood Morrow, Stephen Bernhard, Buell
Woodworth, Thomas Hayden, Donald Crandell, Arnold Blazo, Frank Van Loan, William
Spencer, Donald Bailey, John Chatfield, Stanley Burhans, Erwin Mattice, Jack
Best, Edward Cocyout, Andrew Kmetz
(Column 4) Harold Hauser, Stephen Runyan, Wallace Jump, Ivan Alle, Paul Lamson,
Fred Stead, Carleton Vail, Donald Finch, Clifford Andrus, James Weed, William
Conley, Fred Solomon, Glenn Beers, Robert Rhoades, Joseph Gerlak, James Spencer,
Leonard Barkley
(Column 5) Olive Thompson, Gerald Moseman, Raymond Lewis, Clinton Finch, James
Barker, Lawrence Servis, Robert Mattice, Newton Ford, Sylvester Smith, Carl
Beers, Anthony Trettle, Douglas Conine, Irving Lee, Frederick Andersen, Reginald
Disbrow, Joseph Linindoll, Walter Vining, Jr., Claude Soehl
(Column 6) Thomas Haner, Robert Smith, Joseph Kapler, Franklyn Tompkins, Dorance
Waterman, Victor Andersen, Conrad Colson, Gerald Schermerhorn, Clinton Drum,
Joseph Valentino, Robert Rappleyea, Vincent Humphrey, Kenneth Cole, Lewis
Higgins, Edward MacGlashan, Alexander Begley, S. Wallace Cammer, William Smith,
Merrill Wheat, Frank Tancredi
The Windham Township Honor Roll withstood the elements for sixteen years until
September of 1960 when flood waters from Hurricane Donna ripped it from the
ground and carried it downstream. It was later found, damaged beyond repair, and
taken to the VFW hall where the remains of this wooden sign ultimately
disintegrated.