Woodstock Veterans Memorial
At the intersection of Route 169 and Academy Road, a large fieldstone bears the names of Woodstock residents who served their country during the twentieth century. The principal bronze plaque honors the men and women of the town who served during the Second World War from 1941 to 1945.
The names represent local people who left the farms, homes, schools, and businesses of Woodstock to serve during a conflict fought across Europe, North Africa, Asia, and the Pacific. By placing their names together in the center of the community, Woodstock preserved more than a record of military service. It preserved the connection between a global war and the individual lives of those who answered the call from this small Connecticut town.
Additional plaques were later placed on the memorial to recognize Woodstock residents who served during the Korean War from 1950 to 1953 and the Vietnam War from 1964 to 1973. Their addition allowed the memorial to continue fulfilling its purpose as later generations were called into military service.
Surrounded by flowers and maintained as part of the village landscape, the memorial reflects the way small towns preserve national history through local names. Each inscription connects a distant conflict to a family, a home, and a person who once belonged to this community.
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