SOUTHINGTON, CT — Southington has secured $50,000 in state funding to restore and update the Veterans Memorial on the town green, a project that will correct errors on the monument and recognize dozens of veterans whose names were previously omitted.
State Rep. Christopher Poulos, D-Southington, announced the funding, which was included in the state budget and will support repairs to the granite monument, which has stood for more than 60 years.
The memorial features bronze plaques listing Southington veterans who served from World War I through the Vietnam War.
The town's veterans committee recently identified discrepancies on the monument, including misspelled names and the absence of more than 50 veterans who served.
The funding will be used to correct those errors and ensure the additional veterans are recognized.
"To me, this is important because I believe in service," said Poulos, a member of the Connecticut General Assembly's Veterans' and Military Affairs Committee. "When people visit the town green and pass by the monument, hopefully they will pause and recognize a name — a grandfather, a parent, a neighbor. This is an opportunity to connect with our town's legacy of service. I'm honored to help see this project through."
Poulos said his father is a retired Army lieutenant colonel and serves on the Southington Veterans Committee.
"I will continue to work in Hartford to ensure that we honor our veterans the way they deserve," Poulos said. "Their service and sacrifice must never be forgotten."
The Southington Veterans Committee hopes to complete the restoration and unveil the updated monument by Veterans Day.
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