Newfield’s touching ceremony for veterans

On Saturday, Nov. 11, the town of Newfield came together to honor its veterans and unveil a new memorial plaque behind Newfield Town Hall dedicated to those who served in World War I and World War II. The event was hosted at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in tribute to the signing of the armistice that ended World War I.

The ceremony began with a pledge to the flag followed by Town Historian Alan Chaffee and Deputy Town Historian Matt Watros sharing insights and reflections on the town’s history. Joseph Cudlin, a lifelong resident of Newfield whose name graces the sign, added a personal touch by sharing a few words before unveiling the memorial plaque with the help of his grandson, who is a captain in the U.S. Army. The ceremony concluded with Taps played by community member Douglas Blakely. 

“The event is to unveil a new bronze memorial plaque honoring Newfield residents that served in World War I and World War II,” said Newfield Library Director Sue Chaffee. “The history behind the sign is that there used to be one on Main Street by the Masonic Temple, and it was damaged in the late ’60s, and a resident, Glenn Caslick, has been on a mission to replace it.”

Caslick’s father, James, a World War II veteran, was among those honored on the original memorial. Since the destruction of the Newfield Honor Roll Cabinet, Glenn has embarked on a mission to replace the memorial, driven by a deep sense of respect for his father’s service and a commitment to preserving the town’s military history. The first donation for the project came from James Caslick.

According to Glenn, the memorial plaque has been a long time coming. Glenn had his initial push at the beginning to put up a new sign, but then he realized that he couldn’t do it all by himself. The idea stayed alive and finally caught some wind through group work and has now come together.

“The right people have gotten involved,” Glenn said. “Everybody’s really pushed and gotten stuff done, and the town has been really supportive and the town highway department and the crew.”

Glenn noted that after the Newfield Honor Roll Cabinet was destroyed, the only recognition for veterans was a rock in front of Tioga Bank. However, no individual names are listed there. Instead, there is a general statement thanking veterans for their service. The rock has now been relocated from in front of the bank to a spot next to the new memorial plaque.

“It’s not a monument of everybody from Newfield who has ever served in any war,” Glenn said. “It’s just they were Newfield residents at the time that they went into the service for World War 1 and World War ll.”

Glenn said that he researched names through the Newfield Historical Society and with help from community members. With new and old information from the old sign, a list of men and women who were residents of Newfield at the time of their enlistment was created.

“This plaque is one part of the bigger project to develop the back of Town Hall into a War Memorial Park and improve the area around the historic Covered Bridge,” Chaffee said.

The War Memorial Park is still undergoing development, with hopes to unveil more in the spring. According to Chaffee, both Saturday’s event and the larger project have been a group effort. Much work has gone into both the new memorial plaque and the War Memorial Park, with the goal of recognizing Newfield community members who served during World War I and World War II.

The town of Newfield’s commitment to this project reflects its dedication to honoring and remembering its veterans, ensuring that their legacy lives on in the hearts of the community.

“There are a lot of community members that have served in the military,” Chaffee said. “And just overall, Newfield is a very patriotic community.”