A Longwood Junior High School social studies project that began more than a decade ago, will culminate with the dedication of the final war monument in Bartlett Pond Park, commemorating the service of more than 200 Longwood School District veterans in the Gulf War, Iraq and Afghanistan.

A ceremony to unveil the final monument will take place on Sat., June 16 at 11 AM, at the park, located on Middle Country Rd., Middle Island.

More than 500 dignitaries, including representatives from Washington, state and local elected officials, veterans’ organizations, the Longwood Alliance, local fire departments, students and school officials will be present to pay tribute to the local heroes. A color guard from the 106th
Rescue Wing, New York Air National Guard, will open the ceremony.

Each veteran, active serviceman and woman will be recognized individually and presented with a medal and Longwood veteran hat. A bound collection of their student-written biographies will be distributed to the honorees.

“One man's story started this entire project,” Longwood Junior High School Social Studies teacher Paul Infranco said. “In 1998, Coram resident and WWII veteran Jim Eagle told a group of Longwood students about how he survived the attack on Pearl Harbor. That single tale sparked a
renewed interest in local, living history here in Longwood. Our kids and then our community soon realized that every veteran has an important story to tell, and that every veteran deserves to be recognized,” he said.

Students raised the $15,000 necessary to fund the first monument, dedicated in 2007 to World War II veterans. Since that time, junior high school students have researched the names and the lives of every Longwood veteran from all the nation’s wars, using historical records that
included the National Archives, the Suffolk County Historical Society, the Town Historian’s office and the Longwood Public Library.

The result was six volumes of biographies. Their research inspired subsequent funding.

In 2010, monuments were dedicated to veterans of every war from the American Revolution through Vietnam. Those, along with the newest monument, were funded through the generosity of Caithness Host Benefit Fund, as well as donations from local civic associations and the support of
the Town of Brookhaven Parks Department.

“The names on the monuments at Bartlett are our way of ‘Thanking Every Hometown Hero,’” said Gail Bailey, president of the Longwood Alliance and a chief organizer of the project. “We hope the park will always be a place of recreation and reflection. Granite last a long, long time. So should our gratitude to our veterans,” she said.

Due to limited parking, guests are encouraged to park at the Middle Island Fire Department, 31 Arnold Dr., Middle Island; or Longwood Middle School, 41 Yaphank Middle Island Rd., Middle Island, by 10 AM. Shuttle buses will be provided from both locations to the park.

Participants are invited to a community barbecue at the Middle Island Fire House following the dedication.

The rain date for the dedication is Sun., June 17 at 11 AM. If it rains on Sun., the ceremony will be moved to Longwood Middle School at 1 PM.