John Atkins discusses plans for a military monument for people of color with veterans Corliss Dennis and Alonzo Senior. (Melissa Newcomb, syracuse.com/TNS)
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (Tribune News Service) — Herb Dunmore was 19 attending night school when he was drafted for the Vietnam War. Six months later, he was in combat in Vietnam.
His patrol group was walking when an enemy mine exploded under them in 1966. Shrapnel cut through his face, elbow and leg. He spent seven weeks in the hospital and was awarded a Purple Heart, an honor given to military members wounded or killed while serving.
“It was a very harrowing experience,” said Dunmore, who has lived in Syracuse for over 40 years. “It wasn’t 365 days of hell. But it was damn near close.”
Dunmore and others fear that the rich military history of Syracuse’s Blacks, Latinos and other veterans of color is largely unknown by the community.
That concern could be addressed by the end of next year. A monument that commemorates the contributions of current military members and veterans of color from Syracuse is planned for Kirk Park on the city’s South Side. People of color who served in war or peace will be honored.
Herb Dunmore is a Vietnam veteran from Syracuse. He served from 1966-1968 after being drafted at 19 years old. (Melissa Newcomb, syracuse.com/TNS)
The Syracuse Common Council approved $250,000 from the American Rescue Plan Act fund for the memorial last year.
Former Syracuse councilor Michael Atkins, who is leading the effort, estimated it will cost around $500,000 in total. The additional funds would be raised from local companies.
The design of the memorial has not been determined. The city is hosting two community design sessions next month, where participants can share their opinions.
Atkins, a Syracuse native, got the idea for the monument when he saw the flagpole at Kirk Park did not have an American flag.
“We had a football field that we had remodeled, had a nice scoreboard. But when the kids had to pledge allegiance before games, they were just looking up in the sky. It was meaningless to a certain degree,” said Atkins.
That simple thought about a missing flag grew into a larger idea.
Atkins and others hope the monument, which will be next to the football field, will encourage residents to use the park and inspire children of color to see what they are capable of.
Alonzo Senior, left, and Michael Atkins walk through Kirk Park discussing plans for a military memorial for people of color. (Melissa Newcomb, syracuse.com/TNS)
“I think it’s important for the youth to know what contributions are made by friends, relatives, and Blacks in the military. Right now they’re oblivious,” said Alonso Senior, who served in the Air National Guard from 1966 to 1972.
The monument will only represent minority groups, a decision veterans said is not to be exclusive, but to give voice to the experiences and sacrifices specific to people of color.
Some local veterans shared that being a person of color in the military came with its challenges.
Corliss Dennis, who served in the Army from 1994-2004, said that being a Black woman in the military meant enduring fellow military members’ degrading comments and presumptions.
“It happened more than you can count in a day,” said Dennis, who was in an aviation unit and refueled helicopters. “They believe that you’re not as smart as them, that you won’t be able to catch on or not earn your stripes or training.”
A design for the monument is anticipated to be finished by the end of November, said Joshua Wilcox, the city’s landscape designer and parks planner. Barton and Loguidice, a consulting firm, is working with the city and veterans on the design.
The city will be accepting bids from contractors for the construction in early 2024. Construction is expected to start next summer.
The community design sessions at the Kirk Park Community Center on Sept. 12 from noon to 3 p.m. and Sept. 14 from 4 p.m.- 7 p.m.
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Syracuse military veterans (from left) Horace White, Herb Dunmore, Corliss Dennis and Alonzo Senior met with Michael Atkins at Kirk Park to discuss plans for a military memorial for people of color. (Melissa Newcomb, syracuse.com/TNS)
