Dear Folks, This is an update on the progress of my veterans project. I've just recently updated the list of our Town of Porter veterans that now includes 1,077 name. I burned the list onto a CD and this past Tuesday I took the CD over to the Youngstown Village Clerk's office because Mayor Riordon was anxious to see the list because he has plans for a veterans memorial of some sort during the village's sesquicentennial celebration this year. I explained to the Village Clerk that the list encompasses the entire Town of Porter and that there was no way to extract only those names who served with a Youngstown connection. She realized that it might prove to be a problem but she went along with it anyway and would print out the entire list as the mayor had requested. I then took a duplicate CD of all the information and went to the Town of Porter Supervisor's office at the Town Hall and gave him a long overdue update on the project. I told him that I felt that an all-name list be displayed at the Town Hall in some fashion but due to budget restraints, I knew that the town couldn't afford a very expensive "Vietnam Wall" sort of display on the front lawn of the Town Hall. My only low-budget suggestion was a simple listing of all the names and what wars they served in and displayed on a number of framed panels to be hung conspicuously in the entry hallway of the Town Hall. The Town Supervisor is all for it. Now here's where it gets a bit interesting. Mayor Riordon called me today to thank me for the information that I had provided him with and to let me know what he intends to do with the entire list of veterans. First of all he described to me what he and the village are planning as a proper veterans memorial and dedication. There will be a large boulder placed conspicuously in Veterans Park in Youngstown with a proper bronze plaque on it dedicated to all our veterans. There will be a 40-foot flagpole erected that will be flood-lit 24/7. In addition there will be a three-sided kiosk that will list ALL the names from my Town of Porter veterans list. On the day of the dedication of the memorial, there will be a ceremony that will start out at our 1812 Cemetery near Old Fort Niagara. There will be a bugler to play the national anthem and taps. In addition there will be a Highland Regiment of bagpipers to play Amazing Grace. Wreaths will be laid. At the end of the ceremony at the cemetery there will be military vehicles to transport those veterans who attend the ceremony (note: the Army will also throw in a tank!) back to Veterans Park. The entourage will meet up at the park where the dedication ceremony of the memorial will take place. After the ceremony, the entourage will continue on to the VFW Post a couple of blocks away where refreshments will be served while the bagpipers continue to wail away! Now if that ain't a proper salute and acknowledgment to all the local veterans who served in any war since the history of our country, I don't know what is. vee