The last summer concert co-sponsored by the Village of Churchville and the Town of Riga included a special Dedication Ceremony of Hometown Heroes bricks in walkway, near the gazebo. The Community Memorial Park, including the brick walkway began in 2008 as a joint effort of the Village, the Town, the Churchville Lions Club and the Boy Scouts of America.
When Harvey C. Noone American Legion Post #954 met with community leaders to begin planning events to honor the 100th Anniversary of the death of PVT Harvey C. Noone in France during the final days of WWI, Mayor Nancy Steedman suggested that the Post buy a brick in Harvey’s honor. This idea was presented to the membership of the Legion and the Auxiliary and they loved the idea. The Legion purchased a brick in honor of Harvey C. Noone along with three others honoring “Our Veterans, Our Hometown Heroes,” “American Legion Post # 954” and “All Deceased Legion Members.” The Auxiliary purchased a brick for Mary C. Noone, the mother of Harvey, and the benefactress of the Post Home, along with eleven other bricks honoring each of the Gold Star Mothers who lost sons while serving our nation.
The popularity of her idea was reported to the Mayor and it was decided that a Dedication Ceremony be held in conjunction with a summer concert. As planning proceeded, it was suggested that the bricks be grouped together. Since members of the military are often referred to as Hometown Heroes and since the Town and the Village had already purchased four banners, placed in each of the four corners in Churchville honoring Harvey C. Noone as a Hometown Hero, placing the bricks near the Town of Riga bench was the logical choice.
Enthusiasm for the project grew further and individual members placed orders to purchase a brick to honor, or in memory of a loved one who served or someone with a history of supporting our troops. At the August 15 Dedication Ceremony, the names of all those being honored and the inscriptions on bricks honoring groups of individuals were read by Post Commander Gilbert Budd and Auxiliary Secretary Pamela Moore. A total of 28 bricks were dedicated. But, the story does not end there because there are now orders for additional bricks which will be added soon.
Since this is an ongoing Lions project, all anyone who wants to add a brick to the Hometown Heroes section, or elsewhere on the walkway, needs to do is go online, stop by the Village or Town Hall, or stop by the Community Memorial Park and get an application from the box located at the end of the brick walkway. There you can also pick up a map that lists, in alphabetical order, all those for whom there are bricks installed. Situated right next to the gazebo and Black Creek, the walk of bricks is interspersed with benches and it is the perfect place to visit, or stop along a walk through the village, and reflect upon the lives of all those who have contributed so much to our community in a wide variety of ways.
On September 29, the Harvey C. Noone Post is sponsoring a Hometown Heroes Tribute Dinner. September 29, 2018 marks exactly the 100th anniversary of the death of Harvey C. Noone. By virtue of his death, Mary E. Noone, his mother, became a Gold Star Mother. At her death, some 30 years later, Mary left money to the Churchville American Legion to build a Post Home in honor of Harvey. The last Sunday in September has been designated Gold Star Mothers Day. Coincidentally, this year it falls on September 30. So, in addition, the dinner is also in honor of her, along with all those who have lost their lives serving our nation, as well as their Gold Star Mothers. The combined sacrifices of these men and their mothers, makes them Hometown Heroes and worthy of tribute.
The dinner will be held at the Historic Johnson House, which was operating during the time that Harvey and his family were living in Churchville. Since this is a dinner honoring Hometown Heroes, it is open to the public and tickets will be available at the Village Hall, Town Hall and American Legion.
Submitted by Harvey C. Noone Legion
