Restored Saratoga Park War Memorial Unveiled

Yesterday the restored war memorial in Saratoga Park was unveiled at a moving ceremony with an honor guard and local politicians. The field behind the statue, draped in a gold cloth until the end, was dotted with flags in memory of the 106 locals who died in World War I. After speeches by Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, Council Member Darlene Mealy and others, the names of the dead were read out loud and Mealy placed a wreath at the foot of the statue. A bugle played taps and the gold cloth was drawn up to reveal it.

It was so hot in the sun we worried someone would faint of heat stroke, but luckily no one did.

The statue, made of bronze and perched on pink granite, was installed at the park in 1921 at a cost of $5,500, according to the Parks Department. In 1970, the bronze honor rolls with the names of the dead were stolen; in 2000, the sculpture was also taken. Mealy arranged for $350,000 to re-create the statue and honor rolls and restore the monument.

Three descendants of men honored attended the ceremony. “I knew very little about him,” said Bob Minzesheimer of his uncle Irwin Minzesheimer. “He was 18 years old when he died and my father never liked talking about him.” While visiting Bed Stuy, Minzesheimer, a journalist who lives in Westchester, went to check out the old family address at 710 Quincy Street. No longer standing, the building has been replaced by a church. He received the address, along with a photo of his uncle’s grave in Flanders Field in Belgium, below, in a letter from the cemetery in 2004.

The New York Times also attended the ceremony, and you can read more about the creation of the monument and its significance to the community, plus see a photo of the original statue, in its story. You can also read about the ceremony at Brownstone Detectives, which researched and contacted the descendants and wrote biographies of some of the dead.

Saratoga Park War Memorial Coverage [Brownstoner]