By Robert Kalfus
To mark the 32nd annual candlelight vigil of Vietnam veterans remembering their fallen comrades – those who served and fell in the Vietnam War – members of Boy Scout Troop 73 in White Plains arranged more than 700 lit candles in paper bags lining the Veterans Memorial Trail of Honor leading to the American flag flying atop the hill of Lasdon Park in Katonah/Somers.
The lighting occurred at dusk, and the names of all 217 Westchester men and eight nurses who died in the Vietnam War were read and remembered.
The Veterans Memorial Trail of Honor at Lasdon Park was dedicated Oct. 19, 1997 and features memorials and monuments honoring the veterans of Westchester County – and the nation – from the American Revolution through the present day. A special memorial also recognizes and pays tribute to Gold Star Mothers for their own sacrifice.
Beginning with the flags of the Merchant Marines, Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard and Air Force, the trail soon brings visitors past a cannon from the Spanish-American War, and then to a memorial dedicated to the memory of the men of the Merchant Marines who have been lost during America’s military conflicts.
As the trail continues on into the forest, it passes a series of bronze busts on stone cairns. Each cairn features 44 stones on the front face, representing the 44 cities and towns in Westchester County. The busts are copies of original works created by artist and veteran Niels Anderson that were displayed at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Veterans Hospital in Montrose, where Anderson himself had been a patient.
The busts depict servicemen of the American Revolution, the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the Persian Gulf War. An additional bust honors female nurses.
A bust featuring a soldier from the War of 1812 was crafted by sculptor Barbara Lepak.
The trail then leads uphill to the Vietnam War Memorial and Vietnam War Nurses Memorial, located on high ground with a spectacular view of the Muscoot Reservoir valley. A cobblestone walkway encircles a granite obelisk featuring the names of 217 Westchester residents who were killed in action during the Vietnam War. A flagpole with the American and POW flags stands sentinel over the site.
The Nurses Memorial depicts a soldier carrying a wounded comrade with a nurse reaching out to assist. A granite stone nearby lists the names of eight nurses killed in Vietnam.
Continuing along the trail, one next approaches the Korean War Veterans Memorial – the largest in the park – dedicated to all those who served during the Korean War, particularly the men of Westchester County who gave their lives during this conflict and now have their names engraved on the face of this 10-foot-high black obelisk. The opposite side of the stone is etched with a map of Korea.
Opposite is a flagpole flanked by two stone benches and two plaques. There is also another, smaller stone monument, and rows of memorial bricks with inscriptions.
As the loop trail heads back toward the parking lot, the final two monuments are reached. The first honors the men and women of the infantry, or Special Forces soldiers who have served in ground combat under hostile fire since Dec. 6, 1941, and thereby earned the Combat Infantry Badge. The last monument is in honor of our nation’s Gold Star Mothers.
The Trail of Honor is open year-round, and tours are provided on request from Chapter 49 WA. Services are held at the Vietnam Memorial on Veterans Day and Memorial Day. A candlelight vigil is held there the last Sunday before Christmas every year. For more information, contact Chapter 49 at www.LasdonTrailOfHonor.com or 914-682-4949.
