Syracuse, NY -- Dozens of soldiers, public safety officers and veterans gathered this morning to recognize the 100th anniversary of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument in downtown Syracuse. The county monument in the heart of Clinton Square was finished on June 21, 1910 to commemorate the 12,000 soldiers from Onondaga County who died in the Civil War. The ghost...
From left, Sue Greenhagen of Morrisville, Betty Washburn of Bridgewater, Loraine Orton of Syracuse and Dorothy Prentice of West Edmeston, dressed in period costumes to mark the 100th anniversary of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument in Clinton Square, The county monument in the heart of Clinton Square was finished on June 21, 1910 to commemorate the 12,000 soldiers from Onondaga County who died in the Civil War.
Mike Grajko plays the bagpipes at ceremonies for the 100th anniversary of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument this morning in Clinton Square, The 73-foot monument depicts, on one end, a Syracuse soldier repairing an American flag in the heat of battle, and on the other, "A Call to Arms."
Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner and Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney both called it a "solemn" occasion. Fraternal organizations laid wreaths on the monument.
Army Lt. Colonel Bryan P. Radliff stepped out of the recruiting office in the Atrium to honor the soldiers memorialized by the monument.
"It's very nostalgic, especially for a soldier," Radliff said of the ceremony. "We ride on the backs of our forefathers. It makes it that much more worthwhile."