Committee Formed to Replace, Expand Veterans’ Monument on the Common

During events on the Common, such as the center of attention is usually at the center of the Common.

A newly-formed group, the Friends of Woburn Veterans Committee, is starting to work to shine a spotlight on the west side of that patch of green by from Woburn who served their country.

The new monument would basically stand on the site of the wood and brick World War II veterans’ memorial, which is disintegrating, Larry Guiseppe, the city’s director of veterans’ services, told Woburn Patch last month.

The committee of 17 is now accepting requests for names to be included on the new honor roll. The names on the existing monument will be transferred to the new one, Guiseppe said. For accuracy, Guiseppe suggested Friday that even those veterans, or their families, complete the paperwork to be included on the new memorial.

The committee is also accepting contributions toward the new memorial. The veterans’ group hopes to raise between $500,000 and $600,000 for the new structure, Guiseppe said in October.

Applications are available to request that a veteran’s name be included on the new honor roll monument.  The application form asks for the veteran’s dates of service and a copy of his or her discharge papers. The person must have resided in Woburn when he or she entered the service or resided here for at least 20 years. The veteran must meet the state definition of a veteran serving in wartime by having served between certain dates for a specified length of time, according to the form.

The application deadline is March 31, 2012.

The committee is asking, on the honor roll monument request form, for a voluntary donation of $20 to help to help defray the cost of the project. Checks should be made payable to “Friends of Woburn Veterans” and delivered to at 275 Mishawum Road, Suite 100, Woburn or to the city veterans’ office on School Street, in the .

The committee plans to set up a website, George Poole, a veteran of Vietnam and the Cold War and vice-chairman of the veterans committee, told Woburn Patch Friday. The committee may also set up a system to accept donations on line, he said.

“We’re only taking baby steps here,” Poole said.

The members of the Woburn Veterans Committee and where they served, follow.

Larry Guiseppe, Vietnam, chairman; George Poole, Vietnam and Cold War, vice-chair; Jennifer Murray, secretary treasurer.

Mike McGann and Jack Gilgun, World War II.

Jerry Buckley, Domenic Negri and Jerry Langone, Korea.

Mike McDonough, Tom Quigley, Charlie Culhane and Alfred DePaoli, Vietnam.

Woburn Police Sgt. Chris Wackrow, Desert Shield/Storm and WPD Officer Greg Post, Operation Enduring Freedom/Iraqi Freedom—Kuwait; and Firefighter Tommy Martin, Operation Enduring Freedom/Iraqi Freedom—Iraq.

City Councilman Richard Gately and Kathy Lucero, .

Applications are available at the ; at ; online by emailing jmurray@cityofwoburn.com and from committee members.

The committee is a non-profit, 501 © 3 organization.