WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES NOVEMBER 1, 2018 25
OUR NEIGHBORHOOD: THE WAY IT WAS
How Woodhaven and Richmond Hill
honored fallen World War I heroes
PRESENTED BY
THE WOODHAVEN CULTURAL
AND HISTORICAL SOCIETY
PROJECTWOODHAVEN@GMAIL.COM
Though the United States joined
the 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 and
Richmond Hill.
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
nearly 140 young men from Woodhaven
and Richmond Hill 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.
In Forest Park, one oak tree was planted
for each of the young heroes.
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.
However, this tradition faded away
in the early 1940s and the purpose
of the trees in Forest Park Drive was
forgotten for nearly 75 years. In recent
years, local groups and organizations
have revived this tradition in memory
of the soldiers of WWI.
In Woodhaven, another World War
I monument was eventually erected on
84th Street and 89th Avenue in memory
of Lieutenant Clinton L. Whiting,
who was killed in the Argonne Forest
in France leading his men to safety
and died just days before peace was
declared.
The local VFW was also named aft er
the young lieutenant and Whiting
Square became a start and end point
for Memorial Day Parades during the
‘40s and ‘50s. Known locally as “The
Rock” for the large boulder that sits at
the base of a fl agpole, Whiting Square
also boasted a large cannon, which was
taken away for a metal drive during
the subsequent World War in the
1940s.
Richmond Hill has a beautiful
World War I monument in addition to
their memorial trees. The Richmond
Hill War Memorial (more popularly
known locally as “My Buddy” or the
“Buddy Monument”) was erected in
1925 in honor of the war dead.
The statue depicts a “doughboy,” an
infantryman from World War I and
at the base is a plaque with the names
of the soldiers.
The Richmond Hill Historical
Society will be hosting a ceremony
on Sunday, Nov. 11, at the base of the
Buddy Monument (Myrtle Avenue
and Park Lane South) followed up by
an exhibit at Msgr. Murray Hall (86th
Avenue and 112th Street) from noon to
3 p.m.
There you will learn the history of
the Buddy Monument, read letters
from the soldiers and see lots of old
photos. Admission is free and everyone
is welcome.
The Woodhaven Cultural & Historical
Society will be giving a memorial
presentation a few days earlier, on
Tuesday, Nov. 6, at 7 p.m. at The Avenue
Diner, located at 91-06 Jamaica Ave.
This presentation will tell the story
of Woodhaven during World War I,
with a focus on that very month 100
years ago, when the Great War came
to an end.
Far too many young men from our
communities lost their lives in that
war a century ago. The communities
of Woodhaven and Richmond Hill are
making sure that their sacrifi ces do
not go unnoticed.
Photos courtesy of the Woodhaven Cultural and Historical Society
The Buddy Memorial at Forest Park in Richmond Hill
Memorial crosses outside of American Legion Post 118 in Woodhaven are planted on the lawn every Memorial Day.
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