Buxton unveiled its memorial to Korean War veterans in a ceremony on Veterans Day in Groveville.
Following the ceremony last Saturday, a large group of Korean War veterans stood in front of the monument, three black granite stones. Each is 7 feet high and weighs 2 tons.
A moment of silence honored those veterans who didn’t come home from Korea.
When “Taps” played, veterans in the crowd saluted, as did an honor guard of Buxton firefighters.
“We lost a lot of people in that war. Some soldiers are still lying in the frozen ground there,” said featured speaker Steve Nichols, a Korean veteran and retired Army general.
Joann Groder held a photo of her cousin, the late Billy Camden Jr., who came home after being a prisoner of war in Korea. “He went through hell,” Groder said. “The town of Buxton gave him a new car.”
Organizers estimated that 350 attended the ceremony. Jack Hanna, a Navy vet who served in Vietnam waters aboard a submarine, said there hadn’t been much spoken about the veterans who served in Korea. “It gives them recognition,” Hanna said.
Selectman Bob Libby said the monument cost $42,000. Libby said the money was raised through private donations and no taxpayer money was used. “I’m pleased with that,” said Libby, who spearheaded the drive for the monument.
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Cutline (BUXmemorial 3) – Korean War veteran Steve Nichols addresses a gathering in Groveville as Buxton honors Korean War veterans with a new memorial.
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