Stolen memorial plaques replaced in Ansonia

John Giovacchino of Oxford drills holes to place a Vietnam memorial plaque at the Woodbridge Avenue Memorial. Two of the bronze plaques were stolen several months ago (one WWII and one Vietnam plaque). Behind him is his son, Jeff Giovacchino, another volunteer on the project. Peter Casolino/Register

By Patricia Villers
Register Staff
pvillers@nhregister.com / Twitter: @nhrvalley

ANSONIA — Seymour resident Herb Libby, 88, stood before the Woodbridge Avenue Honor Roll and War Memorial Saturday morning to see the progress of the installation of two bronze plaques.
One of them lists the names of some of the local residents who served in World War II; the other contains names of those who fought in the Vietnam War.
Libby, a World War II Navy veteran, was there to support his friend, Pete Giovacchino, 84, of Seymour, who has spent close to seven decades establishing and maintaining the honor roll and memorial.
Giovacchino is an Army veteran of World War II.
“I think it’s wonderful they’re doing this,” Libby said. His cousin, Wesley Libby, a Vietnam War veteran who lives out of state, is listed on the plaque, he said.
The inscribed bronze plaques list names of living veterans as well as those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to the country. The neighborhood honor roll and memorial was started in 1942 with the creation of a servicemen’s flag. Over 70 years, it has grown into an imposing site at the corner of Woodbridge Avenue and Visselli Court.

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Restoring pieces of history in Ansonia

By Patricia Villers
Register Staff
pvillers@nhregister.com / Twitter: @nhrvalley

As an Ansonia resident I'm looking forward to covering two assignments on this fine spring day: one is a tour of the not-yet open to the public Ansonia Fire Museum on Howard Avenue.
I'll be accompanying city officials and getting a first-hand look of what has been created in part of the former Willis School, which originally was the Charles H. Pine Manual Training School.  
Alderman Eugene Sharkey, D-6, who also chairs the fire commission, will be hosting the tour.

Next up is the replacement of two bronze plaques at the Woodbridge Avenue Honor Roll and War  Memorial, also in Ansonia. Last winter the plaques, inscribed with the names of residents who served in times of war, were stolen during a rash of thefts in the Valley and in New Britain.

The Woodbridge Avenue Memorial was started more than a half-century ago in a grass roots' effort and is the pride of the neighborhood. It is on the corner of Woodbridge Avenue and Visselli Court, not far from the Seymour town line.
Each year a service is held there on the Sunday prior to Memorial Day weekend. I attended several of those services when our two children were members of the Ansonia High School Band. The band and chorus perform patriotic songs during the program.
This year the service will be held at 2 p.m. May 20, and organizers expect a bigger than normal turnout to help dedicate the refurbished memorial.