The Town of Tonawanda Veterans Memorial was dedicated August 18, 2009. Former U.S. Army General and Secretary of State Colin Powell delivered the keynote address. The focal point of the memorial is a seven-foot V-shaped monument of Paradiso granite, standing for "Veterans". The monument was designed by local artist and Vietnam veteran Ralph Sirianni. The monument grounds include the famous "blue airplane", which is a Korean War era U.S. Navy Grumann F9F-6P Cougar, which has been sitting at Kenny Field (the name of the park the memorial is in) since 1959. This plane was most famously used as "playground equipment" from then until 2008, when the Town received a "cease and desist" order from the National Warplanes Museum over the use of this historic military plane!!
To log this virtual cache, you can simply upload photographic proof of your visit, with you in front of the Memorial or The Cougar Plane, or just your GPS in front of either if you are by your lonesome. Alternatively, you can answer the following questions via email:
A) How many in-ground floodlights surrond the main flagpole?
B) Find the Plauque in the front of the memorial for veterans of the Merchant Marine. Tell me the last name of Frank C.
C) Next to that plaque, you'll find the one with veterans of the Coast Guard. Tell me the last name of Matthew T.
D) Walk around to the back of the memorial (there are many blank plaques) and find the Marine Corps plaque. Tell me the last name of Dennis G.
Originally, my plan was to make you take information from the memorial to find the coordinates for a lock-n-lock container along the nearby rails-to-trails. That didn't work, I walked up and down it for a mile looking for a spot to hide it, but was disgusted by all the trash in the bushes along it, and didn't find it worthy of a cache. But I think you'll find this excellent memorial is more than worthy of standing alone as a virtual cache.
Symbol | Type | Coordinates | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Parking area | --- | Park Here. This cache is fully handicap accessable. |