SALISBURY — As part of the ongoing effort to restore a long-neglected War Memorial in Salisbury, a decades-old time capsule was removed and opened last week, revealing scrolls listing the county’s war dead from World Wars I and II and the Korean War.
In 1955, the Wicomico County War Memorial was completed and dedicated by the citizens of the county along with support from the local American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) posts. The memorial, a 32-foot obelisk rising from the surrounding plaza along Route 13 near the intersection with Priscilla Street, has fallen into disrepair because of neglect and indifference in the decades since, but there is a renewed effort to restore the War Memorial to its original glory.
Among the scrolls inside the capsule was one listing local veterans who died in World War I.
“Over the passage of time, the significance and public awareness of the memorial has been eclipsed and after 60 years, the memorial is in need of renovation and re-dedication to find a place of honor in recognition of our veterans who have given the last measure of service to our country,” a statement from the 1955 War Memorial Committee reads.
The memorial was built and dedicated in 1955, at a time when the heartaches and losses from World War II and the Korean War were still very fresh. In the six-plus decades since, the War Memorial has fallen into disrepair and new conflicts have come and gone and the memories of those earlier wars have faded.
Cracked concrete walkways bisect the once verdant plaza surrounding the memorial. Its benches, intended as places of quiet contemplation, continue to erode and a fountain at the center of the plaza sits quietly in disrepair. However, a movement is now underway to restore the long-forgotten memorial.
In October 2014, at the suggestion of Salisbury Public Works Director Mike Moulds, a meeting took place to discuss the future of the memorial and its importance to the community. As a result, the 1955 War Memorial Committee was formed and has since embarked on an aggressive plan to restore the neglected memorial. The proposed improvements include retiling the memorial plaza, replacing the electrical lighting and irrigation system, replacing worn and crumbling benches, installing new flag poles for existing flags and adding a new pole for the POW/MIA flag and, of course, refinishing the concrete monument itself.
A time capsule placed at the Wicomico County War Memorial in 1955 is pictured being opened last Friday.
In an important step in the process, last Friday, members of the 1955 War Memorial Committee, Public Works crews and members of the public gathered for the ceremonial opening of a time capsule inserted in the memorial at the time of its original dedication. The metal cylinder containing the names of Wicomico’s dead from World Wars I and II and the Korean War had been entombed in the War Memorial for over 60 years until it was removed and re-opened last week. Senior Conservator Vicki Lee from the Maryland Archives was on hand to ensure the integrity of the documents was properly maintained.
Roughly 190 Wicomico servicemen and women have lost their lives in wars from World War I through the current conflicts in the Middle East, including 106 in World War II alone. However, the scrolls removed from the time capsule last Friday contain just around 100 names. The plan is to update the scrolls and return the time capsule to the renovated memorial for decades to come.
The ultimate goal is to restore the 1955 War Memorial to its former glory, but it will come with a price. An estimated $150,000 is needed to make all of the planned repairs and restoration work and a fund has been set up by the Salisbury Chamber of Commerce to accept private and public donations. For more information, contact Mike Moulds at 410-548-3170.
