Middletown WWI Monument in Need of Repair, Local Vet Says

One Middletown veteran is trying to raise funds to restore and preserve a World War I statue in the Belford section of town.

Robert Latsch, a 76-year-old Army veteran who lives in Belford, told the Asbury Park Press he walks his dog every day past the Belford doughboy and WWI park.

“He’s in deplorable condition,” Latsch told the APP. “The rifle is in bad shape and the trigger is gone. He has to be repaired all the way up and down.”

American Legion Post 338 in Leonardo is responsible for maintaining the small lot and statue, which lists the names of men from the Middletown area who served in WWI. The Legion contacted a repair shop, Latsch told the newspaper, which quoted them a price of $6,000-$7,000 for repairs -- a cost that’s out of their range.

Anyone who would like to learn more, or is interested in donating to help repair the statue should contact Latsch at 732-241-0490 or American Legion Post 338 at 732-291-4645.

Photo credit: Carly Baldwin

(Story originally reported in the Asbury Park Press.)