WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES MAY 3, 2018 25
OUR NEIGHBORHOOD: THE WAY IT WAS
Forever honoring World War I
heroes in Woodhaven
PRESENTED
BY THE WOODHAVEN CULTURAL
AND HISTORICAL SOCIETY
PROJECTWOODHAVEN@GMAIL.COM
Though the United States joined
World War I in April of 1917, it
wasn’t until later in the year that
we saw our local boys go off to war
with rousing support from an almost
enthusiastic public. But by May of the
following year, the war began to take
its toll on the locals of Woodhaven.
At fi rst, there were a few isolated
casualties. But as the weeks wore on,
residents would nervously look at
each week’s headlines to see the latest
news and grim announcements that
more local boys had been killed.
In November 1918, peace was
declared but slow lines of communications
kept local families on edge for
a few more weeks and months as the
fi nal list of casualties were produced.
Eventually, it was determined that 70
young men from Woodhaven lost their
lives in what would become known as
“The Great War.”
Aft er the war ended, communities
around the country were looking for
ways to memorialize the sacrifi ces of
the young men who never came home.
Less than two weeks aft er the war
ended, Queens Parks Commissioner
Albert C. Benninger announced plans
to “erect a memorial tablet in one of the
parks in Queens, probably Forest Park,
for the soldiers of this borough who
lost their lives in battle.”
While the plans for a borough-wide
memorial were eventually moved elsewhere,
Forest Park was still eyed as the
site for a more localized memorial. In
early 1919, The Patriotic League of
Woodhaven brought together a group
of 60 delegates representing the civic,
fraternal, religious, political and other
organizations in the community to
plan for a way to commemorate the
young men who gave their lives in
defense of their country.
The resulting organization, known
as The Woodhaven War Heroes Permanent
Memorial Committee, sought
to use a site near the golf clubhouse in
Forest Park and plant one oak tree for
each of the young heroes. The trees
were planted near the end of April
and the dedication ceremony took
place just six months aft er the war had
ended, on Sunday, May 11, 1919.
On that day, the families of the fallen
soldiers attended the dedication of the
oak trees in front of the golf clubhouse
in Forest Park. The ceremony was presided
over by one of the soldiers who
did return home; James Pasta, one of
the chief members of the Permanent
Memorial Committee (he would go on
to become the very fi rst Commander of
Woodhaven American Legion Post 118).
Prayers were off ered by Reverend
George Sherman of St. Thomas the
Apostle Church and local boys and
girls took part in the ceremony. As
each name was called, they would
place a red carnation in a large white
cross. At the end of the roll call, the
cross and carnations were placed in an
upright position among the Memorial
Trees in the park overlooking the community
the fallen heroes had lived in.
Photos courtesy of the Woodhaven Cultural and Historical Society.
In the days leading up to each Memorial
Day, the ladies of the American
Legion Auxiliary would decorate the
trees in red, white and blue ribbons.
Friends and family of the fallen soldiers
that the trees were dedicated to would
leave notes and fl owers at “their” tree.
And so, the Memorial Trees in Forest
Park became established as part of
Woodhaven’s Memorial Day tradition.
However, this tradition faded away
in the early 1940s and the purpose of
the trees along Forest Park Drive was
forgotten for nearly 75 years. Why
did it fade away? An integral part of
the memorial in the park was a large
granite monument with the names of
the fallen soldiers.
When Woodhaven Boulevard was
widened, the old Legion home was
torn down and a new one erected at
91st Street and 89th Avenue. It was
decided to move the monument from
Forest Park to the new home of Post 118.
As a result, the parade was rerouted
and over time, the meaning behind the
trees was forgotten.
A few years ago, the Woodhaven
Cultural & Historical Society revived
the tradition and we’ll be decorating
the trees again this year, on Saturday,
May 26, starting at 9:30 a.m. Everyone
is welcome to join us for the decorating
of the trees; email woodhavenhistory@
gmail.com or call 718-805-2002
for more information.
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