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Volunteers ask Fall River City to replace Iwo Jima memorial walkway after years of donated repairs
Summary
Members of the Marine Corps League and local unions described years of donated labor and materials to restore the Iwo Jima memorial and urged the city to replace a deteriorated walkway that limits accessibility.
Bruce, a member of the Marine Corps League, told attendees at a Fall River City Memorial service that volunteers and unions have provided labor and materials for the Iwo Jima memorial for years and asked city officials to replace a deteriorated walkway that reduces accessibility.
Bruce said the monument was dedicated in February 2005 and that between 2005 and 2010 it fell into disrepair. He said Marine Corps League members approached the mayor in February 2010 and “told them, you know, we're not happy with what's going on down there. We would like to take over the maintenance of the Iwo Jima Monument.”
He credited donated work by local unions and contractors: “The electricians union did all the work on the lights,” he said; bricklayers and carpenters donated labor for brickwork and forms; a contractor associated with a high school project provided artificial turf and installation at no charge; preferred concrete donated concrete for a concrete radius; and MJD Excavation did the excavation for the Gold Star Families monument “free of charge.”
Bruce said the group also used a $20,000 grant for the Gold Star Families monument, which helped fund that installation. He named volunteers and local workers who helped with bricks, concrete and benches and thanked people who set up chairs and provided musical elements for the ceremony.
Despite the volunteer work and donated materials, Bruce said the walkway leading into the park “needs to be replaced” and urged municipal officials to act: “I would hope that they would get together and do that. That is hopefully, I will see that before I leave this earth because I would be very satisfied how this park looks if they will get that straightened out.” He described difficulties using a walker on the current surface and called the condition a barrier for people with limited mobility.
The remarks framed volunteer labor and charitable donations as the primary means by which the memorial has been maintained and appealed to city leadership for a capital repair to improve accessibility. No formal city action or timetable for replacement was stated during the ceremony.
