LIVERMORE FALLS — It is Don Simoneau’s hope to get 700 to 800 names of World War II veterans from Livermore and Livermore Falls engraved on two bronze plates for the monument in the Geneva Hodgkins Memorial Park.

He has been trying for nearly 20 years to rebuild the list of names from the original 1945-1946 list of World World War II veterans that were on the wooden Honor Roll in the park decades ago.

The old Honor Roll was taken down in the 1960s and replaced with the granite World War II monument, Simoneau said. In the original plans for the monument, he said, it showed the names on the monument. But more than 40 years later the names are not there and both sides of the monument are just plain granite.

Simoneau of Fayette explained the project he and others have been working on to selectmen on Monday. Selectmen approved him moving forward with the project in the town park and also promised to bring up a possible donation to the project during budget talks.

Simoneau is leading a fundraising drive to buy two 26- by 32-inch bronze plates and have the names engraved on them. One plate would go on each side of the monument.

The names would be listed in alphabetical order instead of being divided by town as they were on the initial Honor Roll.

Sculptor Gary Cooper, who has made four plaques for the Maine Hall of Flags, is interested in working on the project.

The cost is about $3,500, Simoneau said.

Earlier this year, the Livermore Falls Advertiser published a story on Simoneau’s quest to find the names. After the story ran, the newspaper office received a $500 check addressed to the American Legion Post 10, Simoneau, the Post adjutant, said. It was from a World War II veteran to put toward the project, he said.

Anyone wishing to donate to the project may send donations to Donald Simoneau, World War II Memorial, 3451 Main St., Fayette, ME 04349. The checks should be made out to American Legion Post 10, with World War II Memorial written in the check memo.

They have followed up on the first list of names printed in the Advertiser in the 1940s, he said.

There is a photo of the old Honor Roll in Reginald Sturtevant’s “History of Livermore” from which Simoneau and photographer Sandi Grondin of Livermore have been trying to get the names. The photo has been digitalized and enhanced, he said.

Someone will also go through the Advertiser’s archives to help find the lists of names, he said.

“My dream would be to have it done for History Night,” Simoneau told selectmen. It’s a lot of work, so he doesn’t know if it could be done in time.

Kathleen Szostek, a member of the Livermore Falls Downtown Betterment Group that puts on the History Night in late May, said this year’s theme is: “A salute to service people, past and present.”

Simoneau said he is also working on a fundraiser the would include a Maine humorist.

A separate account has been set up by the American Legion Post 10 at the Otis Federal Credit Union in Jay for the project.

NOTE: The story has been changed since it was first published to clarify the correct metal the names of veterans will be engraved on. It also was changed to reflect the correct items the sculptor made for the Hall of Flaggs.

dperry@sunjournal.com

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