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Photo: Memorial Day preparations

By Howard B. Owens

Terry Ross affixes brand new flags to the Upton Monument in preparation for Memorial Day.

Ronald Konieczny

Yea George, the stain is a mega eyesore. I have used CLR to romove stains from concrete but this might take a bit of professional sand blasting because it is unpolished granite, a steeled finish as they say in the monument business. A new year round wreath will cover part of it on Monday evening, but it's only a cover, not a fix. I have contacts in the monument business that I will consult with. But I assure you, this will not be done by someone for free. Things do cost money. We will honestly get this job done right and the eyesore removed permanently. That hook must be made of heavy duty fiberglass and installed with fiberglass gromulets and bolts. Trust me on this, we will get it done. (Mark this date in granite.)

Respectfully Yours,

Ron Konieczny, Commander, American Legion Post 332, Batavia.

May 29, 2010, 1:53am Permalink
jonathan bell

thanks for the link george i used to drive past that statue 5 times a day when i lived in batavia and never knew who the guy was and now that i know im a little upset that out of the the batavians that fought in all the wars over the years as you can read their names on tha plaque outside the hospital they picked a man who KILLED HIMSELF not one of the brave men who died in battle its disrespectful

May 31, 2010, 3:42am Permalink
Bea McManis

Posted by jonathan bell on May 31, 2010 - 3:42am
thanks for the link george i used to drive past that statue 5 times a day when i lived in batavia and never knew who the guy was and now that i know im a little upset that out of the the batavians that fought in all the wars over the years as you can read their names on tha plaque outside the hospital they picked a man who KILLED HIMSELF not one of the brave men who died in battle its disrespectful

The man who KILLED HIMSELF was a brave man in battle and had a long and distinguished career in the military. If you read the entire article about him you know he served our country well until his death at age 41 when he suffered a possible brain tumor.
His suicide was unfortunate, but it certainly does not make him any less a hero. Since when does suicide erase an entire military career?
Each and every person named on that plaque outside the hospital is a hero. I wonder, if given the chance, how many of them would nominate Upton as the person to be recognized with a statue? Most likely the majority would.

May 31, 2010, 7:53am Permalink
jonathan bell

he ws an officer in battle and in those days officers sat back away from the fighting and made orders through sounds of a trumpet. a man that sits 500 meters away from the fight and send OTHERS to their deaths isnt brave hes an officer

May 31, 2010, 10:43pm Permalink

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