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Special thanks to:  Lori DeFillippi for gathering most of the information.

The History of Memorial Boulevard

In 1919, after the "Great War", Bristol was growing and needed a new high school. Albert F. Rockwell took the initiative and made a remarkable offer to the city. He would give 12 acres in Dunbar Meadows (north of South street) for the school if the city would construct a road 100 feet wide, build a bridge over the river at Mellen Street and finish the high school within two years. Mr Rockwell envisioned a stately boulevard along the south bank of the Pequabuck River, with park areas on either side of a wide roadway. At the western end, set on spacious grounds would be a magnificent new high school building, which was designed by Wilson Potter, and is known today as Memorial Boulevard Middle School.  The roadway was to be built from the North end of Downes Street to Main Street. The roadway was formally laid out from Main to Mullen Street in March, and Mellen Street to Riverside Avenue in May 1920. Due to the difficulty of the removal of two unused water plants and the need to re-channel the river, construction was delayed. Rockwell, himself, consented to become construction supervisor at no cost to the city and the school was started in 1921.

In 1921 the work was completed and the road opened for travel. The road of course is Memorial Boulevard and was officially opened on November 11, 1921, commemorating Armistice Day and the dedication of a new fire house in a "triple celebration". From its entrance at Downes Street to its terminus at Main Street, the road measured 4,400 feet in length and was 100 feet wide with a central plot. There is a roadway for east bound and one for west bound. A median runs the entire length of the boulevard and is beautified by trees, shrubs, flower beds and street lights. Unemployed workmen were hired to set mountain laurel along the sides of the roadway, the grass and trees were planted after the opening in 1931. The results of this work received the admiration of many who used the boulevard during the mountain laurel season, during the summer of 1932.

THE  OFFICIAL  OPENING  OF  THE  MEMORIAL  BOULEVARD  ON  NOVEMBER  11, 1921.
The Bristol City Council voted to name this section of roadway The Memorial Boulevard. Dedication ceremony commenced at 11:00am. The weather was sunny and warm, a perfect day for the occasion. All factories, schools, and most stores were closed. The event was well attended. At 12:00 noon a two minutes long moment of silence was observed to honor the burial of the Unknown Soldier who was being lowered to his final resting place at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C. Church bells throughout the city were tolled. The final act was a military firing squad's rifle volley and the playing of taps. At the conclusion of the morning ceremony, The Memorial Boulevard was officially opened for public use. The new fire house on Meadow Street was opened in the afternoon with another dedication ceremony. The fire house was designed by architect Harold Hayden and built by Cosmo Vacca, both of whom had played prominent roles in the building of the Boulevard. A five division parade formed up at the fire house and marched to West Street and then proceeded onto School Street and the Boulevard. At a section of the Boulevard near Main Street, a contingent of World War veterans entertained the public with a demonstration of precision military drill. A gala party was held in the evening at Red Man's Hall on Prospect Street. The building then served as the National Guard Armory (in the 30s, 40s, and 50s, the building was known as the Carberry Theater. Movie prices at the Carberry were usually the least expensive). A musical program of patriotic songs was performed, food was served, and dancing culminated the big day.  JOHN (Jack) DENEHY, MEMORIAL  MILITARY  MUSEUM  INC.

01/26/2008 

A  Tribute  To  Our  Armed  Forces

#1    WW I  Monument - April 19, 1924 was a day of celebration in Bristol. The new Soldier's Monument at the Memorial Boulevard and Mellen Street intersection was dedicated in honor of Bristol's World War 1 Veterans.  1,261 names are listed on this monument.
JOHN (Jack) DENEHY, MEMORIAL  MILITARY  MUSEUM  INC.

World War I Memorial
Architect was Bristol resident Harold A. Hayden. Hayden also had served in the AEF in France as a U.S. Army lieutenant. Memorial was constructed by the Harrison Granite Company of New York. Granite had been quarried in Barre, Vermont. The entire monument is thirty-seven feet tall. The shaft is one solid piece of stone and is twenty-five feet tall. Base of the monument is in the shape of a service star. Each side of the star contains a bronze tablet containing the names of Bristol residents who served in the military during World War I. There are ten bronze tablets and a total of 1261 names. The five major engagements in which Bristol men were engaged are listed on the memorial - the Campaign Marne, Meuse Argonne, St. Mihiel, Oisne-Aisne, and Aisne Marine. Above the bronze tablets, the names of forty eight men who died in the war are inscribed on the granite pillar. Seventy-five years after the monument was dedicated, official record books from the State of Connecticut Adjutant General's office listed all Connecticut residents who served in World War I. The publication came out in 1941, and it showed that six Bristol men who lost their lives were somehow overlooked and not listed on Bristol's World War I Monument. This was discovered in 1996 when preparations were being made to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the opening of the Boulevard. A new memorial stone listing the six names was installed near the flag pole (see picture # 3 ). The memorial stone, designed by Carol Denehy and Jean Dipietro, was donated by the Bristol Historical Society. Above the names of those who died during World War I are five bronze insignias representing the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Red Cross, and the City of Bristol. The U.S. Coast Guard insignia was omitted. The World War I Memorial was dedicated on Saturday, April 19, 1924, on Easter Eve. The dedication was also the sixth anniversary of the Battle of Seicheprey, France. During that battle, more Bristol soldiers were killed in one twenty-four hour period than at any other time in our town's history. A number of others were captured or wounded. There were a total of eight men killed and all were from Bristol's National Guard Company. From an old photograph in the Hartford Courant, it is evident that there was a massive crowd of veterans and town citizens at the dedication - perhaps the largest gathering ever for a one-day ceremony on the Boulevard. The cost of the World War Monument was $2,000 dollars.  Featured speaker at the dedication was Maj. General Clarence Edwards who commanded the 26th Yankee Division in France. The General spoke of the sacrifices made by boys who went across, and  "none performed their duty better that the lads from Bristol". All of the war memorials on the Boulevard are now illuminated at night. Most of the revenue for the lighting has come from the sale of bricks on the Tribute Walkway which is conducted by the Bristol Veterans' Council. Several years after the monument was erected the War Office in Washington concluded that the final list of soldiers that served from Bristol was nearly 1,500 and the number killed in action was 57. 
JOHN (Jack) DENEHY, MEMORIAL  MILITARY  MUSEUM  INC.

World War I Bristol's Soldiers  (DOUGHBOYS)
Three Bristol National Guardsmen lost their lives right here in Connecticut shortly after their unit, Company D, was activated for Federal service in the spring of 1917. Guardsmen were used to provide security for factories, bridges, and railroads from possible sabotage. The first Bristol soldier to die was Pvt. William Nolan who was struck by a train while on guard duty in Ansonia, CT. Another Bristol soldier, Pvt. Max Killian, was also struck and killed by a train in the same area a few weeks later. Pvt. Archie Easland was killed in New Haven as a result of a fall from a trolley car. The Connecticut National Guard trained during the summer of 1917 at a camp called Platt Field which was opposite from the Yale Bowl. Connecticut's citizen soldiers sailed off to Europe in September of 1917. The first Bristol soldier to die in France was Cpl. James H. Hinchey. Hinchey died from illness (meningitis). The costliest battle in the history of Bristol, Connecticut was the battle of Seicheprey, France which took place on April 20, 1918. More Bristol men died in 24 hours during this battle than during any war before or after. The dead were all from Company D. 102 infantry, 26th  "Yankee"  Division. The men who made the supreme sacrifice were:  Eric Hedquist, Timothy Driscoll, William Schaefer, Theon Davis, Damase J. LaFlamme, Joseph Pratt, Elmer Linden, William Lagasse.  In addition to the above dead, eighteen men were wounded and twenty-five were taken prisoner at the Battle of Seicheprey.  Of all the men from Bristol who died during World War I, twenty-three deaths were combat related and thirty-three deaths were as a result of illness, especially the Flu, and accidents. The airplane was invented and first flown by the Wright brothers in 1903, yet only fourteen years later four Bristol men served as pilots in World War I. Lt. Rene Taillon served in combat in France with the British Royal Flying Corps. Other men who served with the US Army Air Service were Maj. William Malone, Maj. Victor Page, and Lt. Arthur Stevenson. Lt Stevenson was killed in a training accident in Texas. Bristol's population during World War I was 19,000. World War I military deaths represented three percent of our military service population. The highest military rank held by any Bristol man during World War I was that of major. Four men were majors, Maj. William Malone, Maj. Victor Page, Maj. Robert Patterson, and Maj. Arthur J. Moquin. Two women from Bristol served as Army nurses - Katherine Abbott & Mary McCarthy. Katherine Abbott's name was somehow overlooked and not put on the bronze tablet on the World War I Monument. Office of Adjutant General records show that three Black servicemen from Bristol served during WW I in the Army, Pvt. Howard Hart, Pvt. John O'Neil, and Pvt. Ernest Ormsby. A majority of Bristol servicemen with Italian and Polish surnames were immigrants. Also a majority of Bristol's Doughboys did not complete high school before entering the service.   JOHN (Jack) DENEHY, MEMORIAL  MILITARY  MUSEUM  INC.

#2    WW I  Plaque & Oak Tree - Planted on Veteran's Day 1968 and was dedicated to local Veterans who "made the Supreme Sacrifice during WW1". The importance of this dedication lies not in the inscribed stone, but in the Oak tree which shades it.

#3    Flag Pole - Dedicated on November 9, 1964 to the City of Bristol. Next to this flag is a memorial marker, donated by the Bristol Historical Society, which list the names of six WW1 Veterans who died in WW1 and were not originally listed on the WW1 Monument. The memorial marker was dedicated in September 1996, commemorating the Boulevard's  75th  anniversary.

 
#4    German Howitzer Cannon 105mm - This cannon was presented to the city of Bristol by the Harold F. Emmett Post on July 17, 1926. This cannon was built in Germany in 1906 and captured by U.S. forces during WWI.   U.S. Navy Admiral Herbert O. Dunn addressed the crowd of city officials, residents and Veterans along the Boulevard. He said "Long may it remain to teach a lesson to the coming generation, to stimulate in their young minds the heroic virtues of their fathers."   Most World War I deaths and wounds were caused by artillery fire. Krupp industries in Germany was the main producer of was materials in both WW I and WW II. The 105mm Howitzer was manned in battle by six artillerymen and was most likely drawn by a team of horses. The wheels on this gun were made by a Wagoner in Pennsylvania Dutch Country after the original wheels were destroyed by a reckless driver on the Boulevard. The gun was originally located in the median in front of the World War I Memorial, but was placed in its present location to protect it from wayward drivers. The gun was damaged on at least two previous occasions. This gun was one of many which were brought back to the U.S.A. for evaluation and testing and then offered to veterans for memorial displays. The gun was donated to the city on July 17, 1926, by the Harold Emmett DAV Post. Mr. Emmett was wounded in action in WW1, had both his legs amputated, then returned to Bristol. He worked in the Bristol Tax Collector's Office. He never recovered in sound health and died soon after the end of WW1.
JOHN (Jack) DENEHY, MEMORIAL  MILITARY  MUSEUM  INC.

#5    Spanish - American "Hiker II" War Statue - Was placed on the Boulevard in May 1983 and dedicated the following summer to all soldiers killed in WWII. This statue is a replica of the Spanish - American War Monument located on Park Street next to Muzzy Field which was dedicated on September 26, 1929.. The statue was originally part of Nettie Rockwell's Brightwood Estate on West Street.

#6    Revolutionary War Plaque - Dedicated in 1984 in memory of Bristol's Revolutionary War Patriots, some whom are buried in the Old South Cemetery. Bristol sent 275 soldiers to the Civil War. The Civil War Monument is located in the West Cemetery and list the 54 servicemen who lost their lives.

#7    Persian Gulf War - Dedicated on August 7, 1994 to honor those military personnel who served during the Persian Gulf War. Compared to past conflicts, the war in the Persian Gulf was a quick one.

#8    National Guard - Dedicated on September 1994 to honor the services of the Connecticut Army National Guard Troops.

#9    Korean War Monument - Dedicated on May 29, 1995 by Korean Veterans Memorial Committee in memory of those who fought and lost their lives while serving during the Korean War. Of the 16 servicemen listed on the monument, six of the 16 servicemen died in Korea.  John Norris died from wounds received in action. Louis Caputo, David White, and John Carros were killed in action. Joseph Lysaght died in a barracks fire in Korea and George Barnett Jr.  died in a POW Camp. The other nine : James Baehr, Cristy Chekas, John Colette, Harold Couch, Donald Dumond, Wyman Goodenough, Raymond Lemaire, Frederick Lockshire died in airplane crashes, auto accidents, and disease - none of them in Korea during the actual fighting with the North Koreans and Chinese, Robert Roberge died from a grenade explosion during a training exercise at Fort Dix, NJ.
JOHN (Jack) DENEHY, MEMORIAL  MILITARY  MUSEUM  INC.

#10   Vietnam Monument - Dedicated Memorial Day 1973. Fundraising efforts were arranged by a group of Bristol Vietnam Veterans charted under the name of Don Xin  ''73. The names of 17 Bristol soldiers who died in Vietnam are inscribed on the granite monument. 
                 
                                      http://www.virtualwall.org/iStates.htm
 

#11   Veteran's Memorial Park - Dedicated on Memorial Day, May 1973. Bristol Mayor J. Harwood Jr. Norton predicted that this park "Would be good for community pride".

#12    WW II - Korean War Monument - Dedicated to Bristol on November 15, 1958, "To Remember and to Honor those from Bristol who served God and their Country in World War II and Korea.  The names of 143 servicemen who died in WW11 and 13 servicemen who died while serving during the Korean War are listed on this monument.
1-  Although there were a number of Bristolites at Pearl Harbor, no one from Bristol was killed during the December 7, 1941attack
2-  One West Point graduate is among the Gold Star names - Lt. Col. Clair M. Conzelman.
3-  No Bristol servicewomen died during World War II - many women served.
4-  Two Bristol brothers were killed in the Italian Campaign - Rocco and Philip Testa who were the sons of Italian immigrants.
5-  One member of the U.S. Coast Guard made the supreme sacrifice - MK3c Harold Rindfleisch. Radioman Edwin Ardenski was the only member of the Merchant Marine killed from Bristol. He died when his Liberty ship, S.S. Paul Hamilton, was hit and sunk by an aerial torpedo launched by a German JU-88 bomber. The flying torpedo was controlled remotely by the German bombardier. It was basically the first  "smart bomb". Loss of life on the ship was the largest for a troop ship during WW II. Over 500 U.S. Army soldiers were aboard. All were killed and only one body was recovered. Ship sank in the Mediterranean.
6-  Two popular high school science teachers were killed in World War II  (Capt. Edmund P. Zibikowski and 1st Lt. Anthony P. Petrosky).
7-  Only one Bristol serviceman captured by the Japanese during World War II survived his imprisonment. Three other U.S. Army POWs died in captivity, Lt. Col. Conzelman, 1st Lt. John Lynch, and Pvt. Philip W. Hoskins. A large number of Bristol servicemen survived the war while POWs of the Germans, most were airmen who were shot down over Germany or German occupied territories. However, Pfc. Ernest Bacon and Pvt. Richard Ensign were infantrymen captured during the Battle of the Bulge and who died in Germen POW camps.
8-  Fifteen of the 139 Bristol Gold Star servicemen were officers, five of whom were pilots and one was a navigator. One officer, Lt Wilbur Blakeslee, flew a Corsair fighter plane with the famed Marine Corps Black Sheep Squadron.
9-  Two Bristol men died while serving with Commando-type units - Pfc. Edward Zeranski (Merrill's Marauders) and Ignacy Joseph Lazarski (Army Rangers).
(My Uncle Ignacy Joseph was a Ranger and was Killed at Anzio Italy. He served with Darby's Ranger and was in the African campaign finally died at Anzio. I know they also made a movie about The Devils Brigade. Joe lived in Bristol CT prior to leaving for the US ARMY. His brothers, Walter, Bernard, Albin, and John all served in the Army during WWII. My father John is the last of the boys. Submitted by Robert Lazarski  8/11/2008).
10-  Many Bristol sailors and marines were aboard ships that were hit by deadly Kamikaze attacks during the Battle of Okinawa. Some were wounded, and one, Ltjg. John G. Foster, was killed when the destroyer USS Bush was hit by a Kamikaze on April 6, 1945.
11-  Staff Sgt. Francis Duncan was killed in action in Germany on his twenty-third birthday - Easter Sunday, April 1, 1945.
12-  RM2c Harold Aube, first name on the World War II Memorial, was lost when his destroyer, the USS Spence, capsized in the typhoon of December 18, 1945. Two other destroyers capsized in the typhoon  and over nine hundred sailors were drowned. This was the worst non-combat loss of lives in the history of the US Navy.
13-  Seven Bristol men died while serving with Bristol's National Guard unit, CO. C, 169th Inf. 1st Sgt. Robert Brandt, Capt. Louis Dainty, Joseph Guerin, Sgt. Ottomar Gurske, S/Sgt. Victor Mastrianni, T/Sgt. Thomas C. Poland, Jr., and James E. Sorenson, Jr.
14-  The World War II / Korean War Monument was originally located on the Federal Hill Green and was dedicated on November 17, 1958.  A plaque honoring Bristol servicemen who died in the Korean War was also part of this memorial. In 1973, the World War II / Korean Was Monument was moved to the Boulevard and placed near the brand new Vietnam War Monument which was dedicated on Memorial Day, 1973. This area of the Boulevard was named Veterans Memorial Park. On May 29, 1994, a larger Korean War Monument was added to the park. 
JOHN (Jack) DENEHY, MEMORIAL  MILITARY  MUSEUM  INC.

#13   Tribute Walkway - Dedicated on May 27, 2001 by the Bristol Veteran's Council for all the men and women, past and present, and who served in the military. This walkway contains a veteran's name from the Civil War and one from the Revolutionary War.

The Vietnam Traveling Wall was here in Bristol on Aug. 12th to the 18th, 1998.  It was quite an event. Today the tribute walkway covers the exact site of the traveling wall. Literally hundreds of people from Bristol and surrounding towns visited the wall day and night.  There were speakers, decorated Vietnam veterans, politicians and dance/musical organizations involved on a large scale.  We would think it was the most attended event in the history of the Boulevard.  JOHN (Jack) DENEHY, MEMORIAL  MILITARY  MUSEUM  INC.

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#14    Korean Bridge - Dedicated in May 2000 by the Korean War Veterans' Committee.

#15    The Time Capsule - Was buried in the year 1985. Donated by the Funk Funeral Home for the Bristol Boys Club. This time capsule will be unearthed on June 3, 2035

#16    50 Pin Oak Trees - Were planted on May 10, 1922.  25 of these oak trees line each side of Memorial Boulevard in memory of our fallen WW I Veterans. Stone markers, located between the trees, bear the name of the soldiers or sailors who died during WW I.    Some were killed in action, others died from the flu and/or accidents. The research on those names was conducted by  JOHN (Jack) DENEHY, MEMORIAL  MILITARY  MUSEUM  INC. .

#17    In Honor and Tribute  of all Veterans,  Past, Present and Future.   Let us visit here for Gratitude and Remembrance.

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