Local elected officials and members of the Hauppauge community attended a special rededication ceremony on August 13 for the Vietnam Era Hauppauge Honor Roll Monument in Blydenburgh County Park.
“The wood and placards may have changed, but the names of our veterans honored and the commitment of the people of Hauppauge to our heroes are the same,” said Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine. “Monuments like these are important to protect the legacy of service and the memory of the many sacrifices made for this great nation.”
The monument’s storied past was detailed by Kevin O’Hare who was a member of the 12-person team responsible for restoring the monument in 2001. Prior to that restoration, the 1966 monument was located at the corner of Old Willets Path and Veterans Memorial Highway. Following those efforts in 2001, the monument was given a home one year later at the former Town of Smithtown Bill Richards Park. In 2016, the monument was restored again by Eagle Scout Nick Sanders.
The latest restoration was made possible through donated materials with Parks Department personnel designing and installing the project.
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