Hackensack, NJ Community Message Boards

General Category => Hackensack History => Topic started by: Editor on July 14, 2005, 06:06:50 PM

Title: WWI memorial at Foschini
Post by: Editor on July 14, 2005, 06:06:50 PM
There are a row of trees along Salem, under which are small plaques with the names of several WWI soldiers from Hackensack that died between September and December 1918. I notice some say "died" and some say "killed".  See below.

Someone asked me about it and we'd like to know how they died, if there are any remaining relatives and, generally, what their stories were.

Thanks for any information.
Title: Re: WWI memorial at Foshini
Post by: Editor on July 21, 2005, 03:58:03 PM
Below are pictures of the memorial.

My guess is that some of these soldiers died of influenza.  Click here for more information (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/influenza/timeline/index.html).  They may have fought at the Hindenburg Line (http://www.awm.gov.au/1918/battles/hindenburg.htm) or battles after that. Click here (http://www.awm.gov.au/1918/victory/index.htm).  This was toward the end of WWI.  Another possibility is that they were part of the New Jersey National Guard's 29th Division which was engaged in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in France.  This offensive took place from September 26, 1918 through November 11, 1918. Click here (http://history.amedd.army.mil/booksdocs/wwi/fieldoperations/chapter28.htm).

We are still interested in learning about who these soldiers were from a local perspective. Anyone researching this should be aware that Hackensack was still called New Barbadoes in 1918.  These soldiers might have been from areas that are now outside of the City.

(http://www.hackensack.org/filestorage/6814/70/WWImem.jpg.JPG)
Elwood W. Brockner
(http://www.hackensack.org/filestorage/6814/70/WWImem.jpg_(a).JPG)
Donald Russell
(http://www.hackensack.org/filestorage/6814/70/WWImem.jpg_(2).JPG)
Henry Douglas
(http://www.hackensack.org/filestorage/6814/70/WWImem.jpg_(3).JPG)
Rolfe Willis Proctor
(http://www.hackensack.org/filestorage/6814/70/WWImem.jpg_(4).JPG)
Fred Grapentine
(http://www.hackensack.org/filestorage/6814/70/WWImem.jpg_(5).JPG)
Capt. Harry Doremus
(http://www.hackensack.org/filestorage/6814/70/WWImem.jpg_(6).JPG)
Stephen T. Schoonmaker
(http://www.hackensack.org/filestorage/6814/70/WWImem.jpg_(7).JPG)
Corp. Amasa F. Gurnee
(http://www.hackensack.org//filestorage/6814/70/WWIeight.JPG)
Salvatore Trotta
(http://www.hackensack.org/filestorage/6814/70/WWImem.jpg_(9).JPG)
Frank J. Van Wetering
(http://www.hackensack.org/filestorage/6814/70/WWImem.jpg_(10).JPG)
John Park Hart
(http://www.hackensack.org/filestorage/6814/70/WWImem.jpg_(11).JPG)
Russell S. Hastings
(http://www.hackensack.org/filestorage/6814/70/WWImem.jpg_(12).JPG)
Walter Scott Brown
(http://www.hackensack.org/filestorage/6814/70/WWImem.jpg_(13).JPG)

(http://www.hackensack.org/filestorage/6814/70/WWImem.jpg_(14).JPG)

WWI Honor Wall at City Hall
Title: Re: WWI memorial at Foschini
Post by: Editor on November 07, 2005, 10:16:45 PM
The link below will take you to a recent New York Times article written by Kevin Davitt, a local freelance writer.  The article is about the the impermanence of memorials including the WWI memorial and Foschini Park. 

Days of Monuments Past (http://www.hackensacknow.com/images/MonumentsNYT.JPG)

Veterans' Day is November 11th.  There are ceremonies in Hackensack on November 10 and 11.  Click here (http://www.hackensack.org/controls/eventview.aspx?MODE=SINGLE&ID=139) for more information.
Title: Re: WWI memorial at Foschini
Post by: Editor on October 19, 2006, 10:51:18 AM
Bob Leafe found these on ebay.  This photo was taken at the Elks Lodge in Hackensack and probably shows some of the men who were honored in the WWI monuments at Foschini, although there's probably no way to confirm. (Scroll up for more information).

(http://www.hackensacknow.com/images/soldiers1.JPG)

(http://www.hackensacknow.com/images/soldiers2.JPG)

(http://www.hackensacknow.com/images/soldiers3.JPG)
Title: Re: WWI memorial at Foschini
Post by: Editor on February 12, 2018, 09:51:48 PM
http://veterans.hackensackschools.org/VeteranSubpages/World%20War%20I%20Spanish%20Flu/Sub%20Pages/Spanish%20Flu%20Articles/Spanish%20Flu%20Map%20Sub%20Pages/New%20Jersey%20Articles.htm
Title: Re: WWI memorial at Foschini
Post by: Editor on September 26, 2018, 08:14:44 PM
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/09/26/americas-deadliest-battle-world-war-is-meuse-argonne-offensive-100-years-later.html
Title: Re: WWI memorial at Foschini
Post by: irons35 on October 09, 2018, 11:51:39 AM
Grapentine is not a common surname, and there is a family in Paramus with that last name.  they are on FB.
Title: Re: WWI memorial at Foschini
Post by: Editor on February 17, 2020, 12:04:36 AM
I saw this hanging in The Lido restaurant.