It took a lot of hard work to build four memorials to honor the men and women from Erie County who died in service to our country.  Did you know that the hard work did not end once the memorials were finished a few years ago?  Every so often, new names are added to the memorials. 

I’m visiting Erie County Veterans Memorial Park at State Street and Glenwood Park Avenue in Erie.  Last year, 17 names of soldiers killed in action were added to the World War I Memorial which was dedicated in 2019.  This year, 5 new names have been added to the World War II Memorial which was built in 1999. The park's board of directors learn about a left-out veteran, they research the name, and if there's any connection to Erie County, that veteran's name is added.

"You would rather error on the side of putting somebody in that maybe is a shaky connection to Erie as opposed to leaving them out.  If there's a connection, we'll put the name on,” says Bill Welch, a board member of the park.  

The five new names added to the World War II Memorial are now there due to one man, Doug Squeglia.  Doug visited Erie County Veterans Memorial Park in 2015.  He left as a changed man.  He decided he would research every name on the World War II Memorial.

"You hear the term, 'Lest We Forget.' We should never forget,” says Doug. “I wanted to go beyond the names inscribed on the memorial. I wanted to know about the individual."  

Doug is now halfway through his research of all 732 names on the World War II Memorial. Biographies of each veteran are being written from that research. It was during his research on the other veterans that Doug found out about the 5 vets who were omitted from the memorial when it was dedicated 25 years ago. A biography has already been written for one of the five, Richard Ayers, a graduate of Erie's Academy High School.

"While the U.S. was still neutral in '41, he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force and was killed in a bombing mission over Germany in early '42,” says Doug.   

Doug spends hours and hours on his research.  It seems like a never-ending process but the biographies of all the World War II veterans will eventually be published in a book.

"It's going to be a pretty comprehensive book,” says Bill. “We've been working on it for a couple of years.  It will take a couple more years to finish it."  

Wow.  New names added to the memorial. Biographies being written about all 732 local war heroes who died in World War II.  That's a lot of work.

"Pretty much,” says Doug.  “And that's an honor for me.  It's truly an honor."

The committee that established the World War I memorial has already published a book that includes the biographies of Erie County residents who died in that conflict.  The book is available at Werner Books and at the Hagen History Center.  

If you would like to visit the memorials, they are located at State Street and Glenwood Park Avenue across from Veterans Stadium.