Memorial plaque to be unveiled at Bangor cemetery Rite to laud Korean War, WWII vets

BANGOR – A bronze plaque that will hang in the State Capitol Hall of Flags in Augusta to commemorate the service of Korean War veterans from Maine will be unveiled during ceremonies at 10 a.m. Wednesday, July 27, at the Maine Korean War Memorial in Mount Hope Cemetery.

The time, which corresponds to 10 p.m. in Korea, marks the 52nd anniversary of the signing of the truce in Panmunjom in 1953, according to Ted Robinson of Exeter, president of Burton-Goode-Sargent Chapter No. 1, Korean War Veterans.

“The director of the Bureau of Veterans Services, Peter Ogden, will make the presentation,” said Ed Davis of Orland, ceremony coordinator for the chapter, which built the pagoda-style granite memorial in Bangor 10 years ago.

In the afternoon, the plaque will be taken to ceremonies with Cpl. Clair Goodblood Chapter No. 2 at the Goodblood monument at 2:30 p.m. on Route 100 – Cpl. Clair Goodblood Memorial Highway – in Burnham. Goodblood was a Medal of Honor recipient.

State Rep. Charles “Dusty” Fisher, D-Brewer, was a chairman of the committee created by the Legislature three years ago to work on the plaque project honoring Maine veterans of Korea and World War II.

“In the Hall of Flags, we have flags for the Civil War. World War I and Vietnam are recognized, and the Congressional Medal of Honor, but there was nothing for the Korean War and World War II,” Fisher said.

The bronze plaque for Korean War veterans includes “the silhouette of a soldier looking through some mountains,” he said, as well as the words, “One More Hill.”

Fisher also helped raise money for the Korean War and World War II plaques during a term when he wasn’t in the Legislature. The former teacher said it’s only appropriate to honor the sacrifices of Maine’s veterans.

“Every day, I’m grateful for what they’ve done,” he said.

The funds for the plaques came from a variety of sources, including Junior ROTC programs at Bangor and Old Town high schools, service clubs, credit unions and businesses.

In addition to creating the committee to work on the plaques three years ago, the Legislature in 1995 recognized the memorial in Bangor as “the official state memorial honoring veterans from Maine who died during the Korean War.”

Mount Hope Cemetery donated the site for the monument, which draws many visitors.

In addition to the July 27 observance, Burton-Goode-Sargent Chapter will hold ceremonies marking the 10th anniversary of the memorial itself at 10 a.m. Friday, July 29, at Mount Hope Cemetery.

“The Maine Air National Guard put in the foundation, and came back and put in the flagpoles. You really can’t thank them enough,” said Ken Buckley, who served with the Marines in Korea. “The flags [of each nation participating in the war] are one of the most important things we have.”

Buckley was a tireless advocate for the project, which gathered $55,000 for the monument and an additional amount for perpetual care.

In 1995, the monument listing 233 names of Mainers who died in Korea was dedicated before 2,000 people. Further research resulted in 12 more names engraved in the granite.

“All we wanted to do is put a memorial up for those guys who never came back,” Buckley said. “It was a team effort.”

Burton-Goode-Sargent Chapter was the first of four chapters of the Maine Korean War Veterans. The chapter honors three whose names are on the wall – George Burton of Orono, captured by the Chinese and presumed dead; Allen Goode of Bucksport, missing in action and presumed dead; and Harry Sargent of Hampden, killed on Pork Chop Hill. Other chapters are located in Burnham, the Midcoast area and Aroostook County.

The memorial at Mount Hope includes a Remembrance Walkway of more than 600 stones honoring veterans of Korea and other wars, or those serving from a particular town or branch of the service.

“There’s room for about 100 more stones,” Davis said. “We’d like to have it completely paved. All the money goes into perpetual care” for the memorial.

The small stones, 6 inches by 12 inches, with room for 17 letters and spaces on three lines, are $125. A marker double that size, with up to 25 letters on seven lines, costs $200. Forms to order a stone are available in the superintendent’s office.