WWII HONOR ROLL & MONUMENT HISTORY

As the Second World War was ending, the local chapter of Blue Star Mothers wanted to honor the people from the Rochester area who served in the armed forces during the war. After successful fundraising, the WWII Roll Call Memorial was dedicated at the intersection of Fifth Street (now University Drive) and Walnut Boulevard in 1945. The honor roll structure was built by the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company with sixteen Carrara glass panels on the monument’s six sides. The rare Carrara panels were inscribed with 1,116 names of local citizens who served in uniform during the war, including 26 who gave their lives in the service of their country and the cause of freedom.

The intersection where the memorial was originally placed put it in the path of wayward automobile traffic and flying stones. Because of these road hazards the honor roll was moved in 1951 to Second and Main, where it remained until 1964 when it was under threat of removal due to urban sprawl. The Blue Star Mothers fought the city planners and advocated for repairing the honor roll and moving it to another Rochester location in late 1963, unfortunately the memorial was still removed and dismantled in 1964 and placed in storage.

In 2001, RAHS began a campaign to restore the honor roll and place it on public display as the Blue Star Mothers had intended. The community raised the necessary funds of $40,000 to research and locate replacement panels of the Carrara glass and arranged for an appropriate site near the Rochester Municipal Park. The total cost to move the monument, build forms, bases, and sidewalks was $150,000 – all donated monetarily or in kind. The honor roll was rededicated on May 25, 2002. An additional 24 names, identified during the restoration process, were added to a tribute section located behind the monument.

Now more than 20 years later, the memorial is showing its age. It needs to be repainted and landscaped appropriately. RAHS is rallying behind this project again and is prepared to raise funds for materials and services that will make this memorial a point of pride in our community again.

Late last year, RAHS received a 2023 Community Enhancement Grant from the Community Foundation of Greater Rochester. The $5,600 grant will cover the costs of repairs and maintenance to the World War II Honor Roll & Monument and will help the society with cleaning and repainting the monument. It will also help establish an ongoing society fund for maintenance and annual clean-up of the site’s landscaping. The monument has a long history in the community and is a vital part of remembering the sacrifices of Rochester area veterans who defended America’s freedoms.

To donate to the fund, tap the link at the top of this page or send a check with WWII Memorial written in the memo section to: RAHS, PO BOX 80783, Rochester, MI 48309. If you would like to help us with the memorial through the donation of services (painting, landscaping) or with planning the repairs, please call us at 248-266-5440 or send us an email at rahsupdates@gmail.com. — Karen Lemon