MONROE — Eighth-graders here have been working after school to preserve a piece of history.
Students from Park Place Middle School have been doing the research needed to complete a World War II monument that many are unaware of in Monroe.
The American Legion installed the concrete stand, which bears a small bronze plaque, in Memorial Stadium on Kelsey Street in 1951. Originally, the plan was to include the names of Monroe soldiers killed in the line of duty during World War II on the plaque. But the names were never added, said Tami Beaumont of the Monroe Historical Society.
More than a half a century later, teachers and students are collecting the names, and researching and writing biographies for 18 soldiers from Monroe. They hope to add the names to the monument.
Park Place Middle School teachers Dottie Simoni and Tonia Boyle started the effort two years ago.
About 20 students have been spending time outside school tracking down information about the soldiers. They’ve searched newspaper archives and contacted family members and veterans. They’ve also visited the library and the historical society.
“The kids have really done a good job honoring these men, who made the ultimate sacrifice,” Boyle said.
Alex McCartney, 14, said he’s been researching three soldiers.
He learned that one of the men, Henry Hooper, was buried in the Netherlands. Alex was able to contact through Facebook the man who takes care of Hooper’s grave, and one of Hooper’s cousins in Oregon.
He found relatives of another soldier, Herman Schmidt, living just two minutes away from his house in Monroe. He was able to visit the soldier’s family and look at photos and Schmidt’s bronze star.
Alex has yet to find people who knew his third soldier, Lester Crockett.
“It’s important that we remember them because they sacrificed their lives for this country,” he said.
Once the research is complete, Boyle said, the monument might need to be refurbished before names can be added. There’s also talk of moving it to a more prominent location in town.
Students are to present their research and discuss the effort to finish the monument at an event at Park Place Middle School at 6:30 p.m. on June 3.
Monroe veterans will be available to answer questions after the student presentation.
The Monroe Historical Society is accepting donations to complete work on the monument.
For more information, call 360-217-2773 or visit monroehistoricalsociety.org.
Amy Nile: 425-339-3192; anile@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @AmyNileReports.
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