Broome County All Wars Memorial
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Four years ago a small group of community leaders lamented the fact that so many of their contemporaries who were WWII veterans were passing away with great frequency. They also observed that nowhere in Broome County was there a memorial that paid tribute to county residents who gave the ultimate sacrifice for the United States and the freedoms we enjoy today.
Spearheaded by Edgar Parsons, Jr. a WWII veteran who had lost a brother in that war, the concept of an All Wars Memorial was formed. Working with County Historian, Gerald Smith and Bob Yelverton, who had recently retired from a. local monument company, the initial design was drafted.
At that time 1200 names were identified, and the idea and design of the memorial were approved by the County Legislature. The monument would be placed adjacent to the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena.
Mr. Parsons next asked Lana Rouff, then President of the Binghamton Rotary Club, to join him in raising funds for the project. Together they approached foundations, businesses, individuals and legislators. With the help of die Community Foundation of South Central NY, they were able to accept donations under a 501c3 status. They also put together an advisory committee. This committee consisted of veterans, legislators, community leaders, an attorney, the county historian, public relations experts and a representative from Broome County. This committee met for the first time on January 2003, and has met every month since. As a result of their incredible dedication and resources, die memorial has materialized.
In January 2004, Mr. Parsons unexpectedly passed away, and the committee rededicated itself to his dream. Realizing that the memorial as planned would not adequately include an educational component — an idea that was very important to the committee — it agreed to a design submitted by Kenneth Gay, an architect from Keystone Associates. Together with his colleague Ed Bernhauer, they volunteered their expertise and redesigned the monument as it is seen today.
The committee worked endlessly to raise over a quarter of a million dollars and to obtain services and materials for die project. In three years they sold raffle tickets, sponsored a golf tournament, a swing dance, and sold fast food coupons. They obtained support from community leaders to host a concert to benefit the memorial, to hold a pizza sale and to create a motorcycle ride on its behalf. Hundreds of solicitations for donations and in-kind services and materials were made to individuals, foundations, veterans' groups, businesses and service clubs. With the contributions received and a generous donation of $75,000 from New York State secured by Senator Thomas W. Libous, the committee was able to reach its goal.
Thanks to the generosity of our community, and the dedication of the All Wars Memorial Committee, 1482 men and women are being honored today and will live in perpetuity.
Today we also remember Ed Parsons, Jr., Steve Petrick and William Miller, Sr., members of the All Wars Memorial Committee who passed away during the project's completion. Their commitment to the project will live on in the memorial they helped make a reality.
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