Battery Park, New York City, Oct.,2012, item 2

Reference my last posting about Battery Park there are some more items I wanted to share with you. When we were there one thing I found interesting was a fairly large vegetable garden that was planted in the park area. There were several people around in the garden working in it doing the normal things you do in a garden. It appeared they were growing all sorts of vegetables. I laughed at the fencing they had up around the garden which was there not to keep deers out ( doubt they have that problem in lower Manhattan )  but to try to keep the people from helping themselves to free vegetables. Oh well it was a valiant effort that I doubt was successful. I for got or failed to note the name of the project that was sponsoring this gardening effort.

There were several more significant memorials that I want to share with you.

The first is the New York Korean War Veterans Memorial. This monument in Battery Park, is north of Castle Clinton and honors military personnel who served in the Korean Conflict ( 1950 - 1953 ). This is suppose to be one of the first Korean War memorials erected in the United States. It is a shame but the Korean War is often referred to as the " forgotten war ". It certainly is not forgotten for families who lost loved ones in the war. This memorial is a 15 foot high black granite stele with the shape of a Korean War soldier cut out of the center. Also known as " The Universal Soldier " it forms a silhouette that allows viewers to see through the monument to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. One of the many interesting features of this memorial is it functions as a sundial. Every July 27 at 10 A. M., the anniversary of the exact moment in New York when hostilities ceased in Korea the sun shines through the soldier's head and illuminates the commemorative plaque installed in the ground at the foot of the statue. The statue stands on a three tier base. One of the tiers is decorated with a mosaic of flags of the countries that participated in the United Nations sponsored mission. The plaza's blocks are inscribed with the number of dead, wounded, and missing in action from each of the 22 countries that participated in the war.

Sorry no photograph of this memorial

 

Of a personnel note my parents were very worried that I would be drafted to go to the Korean War and they were very insistent that I go to college . First of all they wanted me to go to college because no one in our family had graduated from college. Secondly being in college was a deferment from the draft unless things went terribly bad in the war. ( that sounds terrible saying if things were to go terribly bad. How much worse could they be than our countrymen dying  in the war ). Of course I wanted to go to college as I wanted to get my Air Force commission and go into the Air Force. Also, it helped that I was getting some scholarship help being recruited to  run on the University of Arkansas track team. This turned out to be a full scholarship. God knows what is best for us doesn't He if we just follow him let Him fulfill His plans for us.

 

East Coast Memorial

 

Another impressive memorial is the East Coast Memorial which is located at the southern end of Battery Park and faces the Statue of Liberty across New York harbor. This memorial honors the 4,601 missing American servicemen who lost their lives in the Atlantic Ocean while engaged in combat during World War II. The monument consists of a large paved plaza with eight massive 19 foot tall gray granite pylons. Four on the south side and four on the north side.The names, rank, organization and state of the deceased service members is inscribed on the pylons.

 

On the eastern side of the plaza a monumental bronze eagle is set on a pedestal of polished black granite. It grips a laurel wreath over a wave-signifying the act of mourning at the watery grave. The eagle is 18 feet 6 inch tall.

 

The front of the pedestal upon which the eagle sits is inscribed 1941****1945 / erected by the United  States of America / in proud and grateful remembrance / of her sons / who gave their lives in her service / and who sleep in the American coastal water of the Atlantic Ocean / into thy hands, Oh Lord.

 

The back of this pedestal is inscribed as follows: 1941*** 1945 / In addition to the 4,597 American servicemen honored here / who lost their lives in her service and / who sleep in the American coastal waters of the Atlantic Ocean / the United States of America honors the 6,185 seamen of the United States Merchant Marine / and the 529 Seamen of the United States Army Transport Service / who lost their lives during World War II.

 

Other Memorial

 

There are many more memorials in Battery park. I will mention a few more of them:

 

     Irish Hunger Memorial

     Wireless Operators Monument. This honors wireless operators who lost their lives performing their duties. Later additional bronze markers were were added naming those who lost their lives performing their duties. The first name inscribed was that of Jack Phillips, the radio operator aboard the R. M. S. Titanic the day of its sinking on April 15, 1912.

     Walloon Settlers Monument. These were natives of the County of Hainaut in Belgium who fled to Holland to escape religious persecution and were a group of 32 Belgium Huguenot families who joined the Dutch in 1624 to colonize New Amsterdam what we now know as Manhattan New York.

     Historical Marker For Shellfish in New York. In the 19th century, New York city shipped shellfish all over the world. Oysters and clams became some of the city's biggest exports. In 1916 several cases of typhoid fever were traced to oysters taken from New York Harbor so  Board of Health condemned the oyster beds.

 

I think this just about finishes my notes on Battery Park. I apologize for the lack of photographs of many of the things I have described. I may get to Ellis Island tomorrow or some other update. I had to update my Google Storage because I ran out of space. Good night. I love you. Grandpa Bill.