Just over a year ago, a small group in Frenchville launched a fundraiser and a ton of research to recognize the town’s more than 700 veterans.
Now, having nearly doubled their $35,000 goal — raising $61,000 — the committee is celebrating the arrival of a 20-foot granite wall of honor, accompanied by more than 100 engraved paving stones, to be dedicated this weekend in Heritage Park.
The installation will be Frenchville’s first to honor all its veterans from World War I to the present. And along the way, while researching the 724 names on the wall, the group produced a book, the proceeds from which will ensure the monument can grow and be maintained for generations.
The unveiling will take place at 1 p.m. Saturday amid military honors, speeches and more, Frenchville Veterans Memorial Committee members said Monday.
“Over the past few years, we’ve seen the last of the World War II generation pass away, and it came to our attention as a committee to not only honor those people, but everybody from Frenchville, or who has lived in Frenchville, who has served in the military,” member John Raymond said. “We want to make sure that their legacy continues.”
The committee also includes Raymond’s brother, Father Dave Raymond of Frenchville; brothers Ken and Claude Roy, Vietnam veterans who now live in Ocala, Florida; Terry Ouellette, originally of Frenchville and living in St. Agatha; Vern Labbe of Frenchville and Gary Martin of Lincolnville, also a Vietnam veteran.
They first met last August at a local diner, and since then have gathered every week.
Research took time, Martin said. Besides a database Ken Roy had amassed over the years, they found information online and at the town office. They combed church records, polled community members, contacted families and even searched for Maine veterans license plate applicants.
“We used all that stuff to add to what Ken had started with, which was probably a good 60% of what we had,” Martin said.
They discovered some interesting facts, he said. For instance, up until the early 1900s, St. Agatha was not incorporated, and many people born there registered at the nearest church, which was in Frenchville. Verifying veterans born in Frenchville became another challenge.
Martin was struck by the fact that a small town whose population has averaged about 1,000 produced 724 servicemembers over the years.
“Of those, there are six families with five siblings that served,” he said. “Another 18 or 19 had four siblings and 41 had three siblings, so these families contributed pretty extensively in terms of kids going off to war, and some over multiple generations.”
They also unearthed stories of the veterans’ experiences.
Many who left Frenchville to serve in World War II were 18 or 19 when they were drafted, few were literate and most didn’t speak English, Dave Raymond said. He recounted the story of a young soldier who boarded a ship for a long ocean crossing to his assignment. Like many, he had never left Aroostook County.
“One of the things I recall was that he was lonely, and he said, ‘At night, I would go on the deck of the ship and I’d look at the stars and I’d cry for my mother,’” he said.
Claude Roy feels fortunate to be alive. His group wound up in one of the first battles against the North Vietnamese in the Ia Drang Valley. The Battle of Ia Drang lasted four days and both sides lost a lot of men, he said. The battle was featured in the 2002 movie “We Were Soldiers.”
After the war, some fellow soldiers spent 14 years looking for him. In a twist of fate, their letter to the Frenchville Town Office arrived just as a relative of his was there getting a fishing license, Claude Roy said. After that, he and his wife visited with the group many times.
“The message in all this is, never forget the soldier you served with,” he said, adding it’s especially important to share these stories with younger generations.
That’s what inspired the group’s next step to preserve the town’s military legacy: they compiled their research into “Frenchville Honor Roll: A Legacy of Service,” a 300-page book now available on Amazon.
All book sales will go to the town for maintenance and growth of the memorial and brickyard, John Raymond said. They’re also planning a second edition as people share more information.
Saturday’s ceremony will include a dedication to Frenchville’s 16 Gold Star veterans, eight of whom will be represented by family members from as far away as Indiana. The event coincides with Gold Star Mother’s and Family Day on Sunday.
The group plans to add more pavers. Information is available from any committee member.
John Raymond said seeing the 20-by-6-foot black granite monument in place moved him to tears.
“It’s more beautiful than I thought it would be,” he said. “I’ve got to give this community credit for everything it’s done for this wall. I’ve never worked on a committee that was so dedicated.”
Martin seconded that.
“There are a lot of beautiful veterans walls,” Martin said. “What’s special about this one is, after a year of research, it’s like we know everyone on that wall.”