2. Monuments, Memorials, and Museums
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Rochester, NY

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This is 1 of 2 pics - Rochester, New York.<br /> VBOB monument dedicated by the Genesee Valley Chapter <br /> (Rochester, NY) Veterans of the Battle of The Bulge. <br /> October 15, 2005. <br /> <br /> In attendance were:<br /> John Foy A-347, Mitch Kaidy D-345, <br /> Bill Statt E-347, Frank Colgan, <br /> Jim Comstock HQ346, Fred Kitson D-347, <br /> Bob Liming Hq 2 346. <br /> <br /> See article by Mitch Kaidy under pic 2 of 2<br /> Rochester, New York.<br /> <br /> photo by John Foy
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This is 1 of 2 pics - Rochester, New York.
VBOB monument dedicated by the Genesee Valley Chapter
(Rochester, NY) Veterans of the Battle of The Bulge.
October 15, 2005.

In attendance were:
John Foy A-347, Mitch Kaidy D-345,
Bill Statt E-347, Frank Colgan,
Jim Comstock HQ346, Fred Kitson D-347,
Bob Liming Hq 2 346.

See article by Mitch Kaidy under pic 2 of 2
Rochester, New York.

photo by John Foy

Mitchell Kaidybattle of the bulge monumentGenesee Valley Chapter VBOBjohn foyBill StattFrank ColganJim ComstockFred KitsonBob Liming

  • Highway dedication of Interstate 390 just south of Rochester, N.Y. on July 17, 2003. Under bright blue skies, two huge and colorful 16-feet long signs dedicated to the 87th Infantry Division as well as Gen. George S. Patton were unveiled. New York State Department of Transportation officials estimated that 1,500 motorists are now passing the signs hourly. As television cameras ground away, the tarpaulin covers were dramatically slipped away from the large signs of approximately 5&#8217; X 16&#8217; at 10 a.m., followed by a ceremony involving five 87th Division veterans. John Foy, A-347; Mitchell Kaidy, D-345, and Bob Purple, A-346, spoke. Other 87th Division members attending were Bill Hicks F-347, and Bill Statt E-347. Kaidy, who initiated the project as he did four plaques in Belgium and an Oswego, N.Y. memorial to S/Sgt. Curtis F. Shoup, quoted Prof. Stanley Hirshon, a recent biographer of Gen. Patton, who wrote Kaidy: "The 87th was a great division." Opening the ceremonies, Foy cited "all who serve in a time of war, These soldiers of that long ago war who died to save Western Civilization deserve to be remembered &#8211; remembered forever &#8211; and that is what we are doing here today. The Golden Acorn, our Division insignia, on top of this sign will forever remind us of what these men did." We also especially remember those serving in Iraq. Those serving in Iraq were also on Kaidy&#8217;s mind. "The dedication of this plaque should occasion in all Americans a strong surge of patriotism toward our soldiers fighting in the Middle East," he said. Kaidy also quoted Patton&#8217;s high commendation to the 87th Division after World War II ended in Europe citing the 87th&#8217;s "magnificent fighting record&#8230;.from the day you entered the line in the blood-spattered mud of the Saar Valley through the bitter struggle of Bastogne." Bob Purple, a recent retiree of the State Department of Transportation, noted the department&#8217;s cooperation in fabricating and erecting such extraordinary signs, which are among the largest on the I-390 expressway, and are distinctively and visibly topped by a golden acorn. In event the signs were ever struck accidentally, they could be re-erected by replacing bolts at their anchorages, Purple said. The erection of the signs was authorized under legislation submitted to the N.Y. Legislature by two legislators, Assemblyman Joseph Errigo and Sen. Dale Volker. By Mitchell Kaidy, D-345
  • This is 1 of 2 pics - Rochester, New York.<br /> VBOB monument dedicated by the Genesee Valley Chapter <br /> (Rochester, NY) Veterans of the Battle of The Bulge. <br /> October 15, 2005. <br /> <br /> In attendance were:<br /> John Foy A-347, Mitch Kaidy D-345, <br /> Bill Statt E-347, Frank Colgan, <br /> Jim Comstock HQ346, Fred Kitson D-347, <br /> Bob Liming Hq 2 346. <br /> <br /> See article by Mitch Kaidy under pic 2 of 2<br /> Rochester, New York.<br /> <br /> photo by John Foy
  • This is 2 of 2 pics - Rochester, New York. VBOB monument dedicated by the Genesee Valley Chapter (Rochester, NY) Veterans of the Battle of The Bulge. October 15, 2005. In attendance were: John Foy A-347, Mitch Kaidy D-345, Bill Statt E-347, Frank Colgan, Jim Comstock HQ346, Fred Kitson D-347, Bob Liming Hq 2 346. ================== The following article by Mitch Kaidy appeared in our newsletter. BULGE ECHO GENESEE VALLEY CHAPTER V.B.0.B. DECEMBER 2005 HUGE, MAGNIFICENT MONUMENT DEDICATED TO BATTLE OF THE BULGE WITH SPEECHES AND REVERIES By Mitchell Kaidy, Editor On a sunny, autumnal day in November, a great unveiling took place at Ontario Beach Park facing Lake Avenue&#8212;the dedication of a ten-feet tall white granite monument that will live in the memories and history of the Rochester-Monroe County community. Members of the Genesee Valley Chapter, Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge, had covered the polished stone marker with an authentic World War 11 parachute owned by John Cipolla of Greece, who served with the 101st Airborne Division. Cipolla and others dramatically dropped the parachute revealing the granite monolith topped in a colorful offset of the circular symbol of the national Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge. It was fitting that the largest battle in American history&#8212;which claimed 81,000 killed, wounded and captured 61 years ago&#8212;had erected such an imposing remembrance, drawing a gathering of over 300 from Rochester and the area, including relatives of some soldiers killed in action. Speakers included State Sen. Joe Robach, who played a prominent role in state financing, Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks, Rochester Mayor Bill Johnson, Stan Wojtusik of the national Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge, Founding President Dick Brookins, and Chapter Secretary John Foy. President Tom Hope acknowledged the visionary role of Joe Tedesco, whose suggestion of a modest monument ballooned up to the nine-foot tall marker engraved with words contributed by the executive committee of the Genesee Valley Chapter, Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge. Sen. Robach conceded that &#8220;It has been a long work in progress,&#8221; but paid tribute to those who persisted to make the monument a success. &#8220;If it were not for these World War 11 veterans,&#8221; he declared &#8220;we would not be here. This memorial will recognize their sacrifice and help the community show its eternal appreciation&#8230;&#8221; Founding President Dick Brookins of the 28th Infantry Division observed that the &#8220;real heroes were those who never came home. We owe our lives to them and we will never forget them.&#8221; He introduced Gary Beikirch of Rochester, who won the Medal of Honor as a medic in Vietnam. In a moving retrospective, Chapter Secretary John Foy, a machinegunner in the 87th (Golden Acorn) Infantry Division, declared that those who fought were &#8220;from the farms and factories, offices and schools, the sidewalks of New York to the shores of San Francisco. For a brief moment in history, these men held our nation&#8217;s destiny in their hands,&#8221; he said, adding dramatically, &#8220;They did not fail.&#8221; Foy, who received the Bronze Star, the Combat Infantryman&#8217;s Badge, and three battle stars, recounted his still-powerful vision of his assistant gunner feeding bullets into Foy&#8217;s machinegun. Sensing that his gunner had fallen quiet, Foy turned to find that a bullet had scored a direct hit on him. &#8220;For the most part we were children of the twenties,&#8221; Foy said, &#8220;citizen soldiers, draftees, and volunteers&#8212;young men hardly more than boys. The real story of the Battle of the Bulge is the story of these soldiers and the intense combat action of the squads, platoons, companies&#8230;Around their necks hung their dogtags and their rosaries; on their head their steel helmets, and in their breast pocket was a picture of the girl back home&#8230;&#8221; Sketching conditions during the month-long battle, Foy recalled that &#8220;the ground was snow-covered and frozen solid, the skies were gray, the days were short, the nights long and frigid. These are the men you see before you,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It may be hard to believe, but 60 years ago we were young and tough&#8230;for us, the soldiers who fought in that war and the families of those who died, the war will never end.&#8221; Executive committee members who forwarded the monolith and wrote the text included Joe Brandt, Jack Foy, Felix Liebmann, Bill French, Tom Hope, John Cipolla, Mitchell Kaidy, Dave Bush, Joe Tedesco, and Marty Cocca.
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