After two years in the making, a Memorial will be unveiled to the public in a formal ceremony honoring the Company F soldiers that trained at the Medina Armory on Pearl Street in Medina, NY from 1898 to 1947. The Dedication will be held October 14th, 2008 at 10 AM on the corner of Prospect Ave. & Pearl Street, Medina (on the grounds of the Lake Plains YMCA, formerly the Medina Armory).

The monument, a pentagonal shaped column made of Medina Sandstone, is a tribute to over 550 Company F war veterans that battled four major conflicts: the Spanish American War, Mexican Border Incursion, World War I and World War II. The names of each of those local soldiers are inscribed on plaques attached to four of the walls of the monument. The 5th wall memorializes Company C soldiers who trained at the Medina Armory during the Cold War era, some of whom served in the Korean and Vietnam Wars.

Attending this most reverent dedication ceremony will be eight Company F World War II veterans (traveling from as far away as Texas), local and state dignitaries, clergy, current members of the 108th Infantry, contributors and the group of devoted individuals who worked passionately to bring this monument to fruition. The public is invited to this event which will be held rain or shine.

Company F Memorial Chairman Bill Menz, a former Company C National Guardsman, presented the need for such a monument to the Medina Sandstone Society in 2006. With the assistance of his committee, consisting of Orleans County veterans, family members of WWII veterans, the Orleans County Joint Veterans Council and Medina Sandstone Society, along with the generous support of the Village of Medina, Towns of Ridgeway and Shelby, Lake Plains YMCA and several individuals throughout the community, the project will be completed in the coming days. A Boy Scout from Troop 35 working toward his Eagle Scout ranking has further enhanced the memorial grounds by designing and installing the landscaping surrounding the monument. The soldiers will finally be properly memorialized and the monument will be a permanent reminder of the five generations of local men from a small community in western NY who fought for our freedom- some paying the ultimate sacrifice.

The October 14th dedication completes Phase I of the $35,000 memorial project, which was funded by community donations, as well as grants from New York State Senator George Maziarz and the Curtis Foundation. Additional funding on the magnitude of $20,000-$25,000 will be required to complete Phase II- creating a granite or bronze statue of a soldier that will be placed on top of the monument. Tax deductible donations are being accepted for Phase I and Phase II and can be made payable to Company F Memorial Fund, c/o Medina Savings & Loan, 11182 Maple Ridge Road, Medina, NY 14103. Pledge cards can be downloaded on-line at www.MedinaArmory.com/pledgecard.pdf.

For further information, contact Bill Menz at 585-798-0399 or visit the web site http://www.medinaarmory.com/.