By Carla Charter

The Trustees of the Soldiers’ Memorials in Orange are tasked with the upkeep and maintenance of all of the veteran’s memorials in town, including an ongoing project to expand the Honor Roll Wall in Memorial Park. The monument lists Orange residents who served in World War II, along with the Korea and Vietnam wars.

The expansion of the wall will honor those Orange residents who served their country from the end of the Vietnam War to the War on Terror and Afghanistan, and the trustees are seeking the names of these residents, said James Cornwell, Air Force veteran and member of the trustees.

As for funding the expansion, Cornwell said, “While there is some money in the account, it is far short of the necessary amount to continue the project to completion,” adding that the project is being handled in a separate account from other projects.

There have been discussions on how to physically expand the Honor Roll Wall itself, but no decisions have been made at time.

“The Trustees of Soldiers Memorials is very important as a way to provide a means to honor those veterans from Orange who have dedicated at least a part of their lives to ensure the freedoms we all enjoy in the United States,” Cornwell said.

Other monuments the trustees are responsible for include the Massachusetts Peace Statue at Memorial Park, memorials at all seven cemeteries, the Orange Armory and designated intersections in town.

“They [the monuments] recognize military involvement of individuals who entered the service from Orange and range from the Battle of Bull Run, the oldest memorial, to World War II, Korea and Vietnam, the newest Honor Roll,” Cornwell said.

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“The maintenance and upkeep of the memorials are completed with no tax dollars and are instead funded by donations from various sources, including matching grants from the Massachusetts Historical Commission,” Cornwell continued. “The trustees’ work also receives financial support from American Legion Post 172 and donations from Grave Robbers Restoration, owned by Norm Sargent.”

Maintenance of the memorials is done mostly based “on condition,” with routine inspections done throughout the year. The Peace Statue is cleaned, inspected and waxed every year, a cost which ranges from $800 to $1,000. The restoration of the statue a couple of years ago cost $19,000. The cleaning of the Honor Roll Wall, done every other year, costs approximately $1,000.

The American flag in Memorial Park is replaced every year, with the new one purchased and dedicated to an individual every Memorial Day.

“The cost of flags at town memorials, when they need to be replaced, range in price due to size,” said Cornwell.

Donations for the maintenance of the memorials or the expansion of the Honor Roll Wall can be mailed to: Trustees of Soldiers’ Memorials, 6 Prospect St., Orange, MA, 01364. In the memo write “Maintenance of memorials” or “Expansion of Honor Roll.”

Those wishing to submit a veteran’s name for the expansion of the Honor Wall can contact the trustees by mail at the 6 Prospect St. address or at trusteesofsoldiersmemorial@gmail.com.

Carla Charter is a freelance writer from Phillipston. Her writing focuses on the history of the North Quabbin area. Contact her at cjfreelancewriter@earthlink.net.