Alumni War Memorial
The construction of the alumni war memorial is starting to take shape. Rising along the south side of the Chapel, the memorial honors all Western Reserve Academy alumni who have tragically lost their lives during military service. The memorial is a brick wall flanked by symmetrical segments on either side. The center panel of the memorial previously existed in the old gymnasium and was obscured in 2004 by the construction of the Murdough Athletic Center. This panel will house a plaque honoring soldiers who lost their lives in WWI. The two surrounding segments on either side will commemorate deceased soldiers from times before and after WWII.
The wall will honor our past soldiers and engage community members at WRA. Tom Vince, WRA’s archivist and historian stated, “They’re not just names; they are real people. I am happy that the memorial is being taken out of the shadows and now displayed more prominently where it can’t be ignored.” The memorial was conceived primarily by Brooke Anderson ’57, Harrison Bubb ’57 and Loren Raymond ’58, all men who were highly instrumental in the fundraising efforts of the memorial.
The dedication of the memorial will take place on Monday, November 14th, 2022. The event will be held in the chapel. The keynote speaker will be the honorable, retired Lieutenant General, Daniel W. Christman ’61; Christman is the former superintendent of the United States Military Academy. Following the presentation, the unveiling of the memorial will occur to the captivating sound of taps; the chapel bell will ring 66 times; for every individual commemorated on the memorial.
– Peter McGinnes ’24
The Reserve Record 