What is home? My favorite definition is “a safe place,” a place where one is free from attack, a place where one experiences secure relationships and affirmation. It’s a place where people share and understand each other. Its relationships are nurturing. The people in it do not need to be perfect; instead, they need to be honest, loving, supportive, recognizing a common humanity that makes all of us vulnerable. – Gladys Hun
You don’t have a home until you leave it and then, when you have left it, you never can go back. – James Baldwin
Visit the lower park first. As you get out of the car, the first thing you notice is the Veterans Memorial, framed on one side by an M60A3 Tank, and on the other side by a Cobra helicopter that is suspended about 20 feet in the air. Crossed Navy anchors are next to the tank. Behind the memorial is a large, well-manicured grassy area with a lake and mountains in the background.
In the middle 1950s, the Veterans Memorial Park was the County Farm, the final home of stinky single men with nowhere else to go. And the occasional family suffering a setback. Maybe their house burnt down and they needed a temporary place to stay.
The Farm was a function of the County’s Social Services Department, where Mom worked as an assistant. They made her Farm administrator, so she could attend college and get her degree. We had to move from our small house on Kelly Ridge and change schools.
My little brother and I each were given a large bedroom of our own. There was a live-in housekeeper/little boy overseer who was a great cook.
The old men, don’t remember the number exceeding a handful, lived in an attached dormitory where I never went. Harry taught us how to fish. Caught sixteen crappies, a few perch and a couple of bass that first time fishing and rarely ever fished again. Too easy.
Mostly, we just roamed the two-hundred acres and tried not to get permanently injured. I did manage to break Mike’s arm demonstrating Haystack Calhoun’s “Big Splash” wrestling move.
“Damn.”
Remember right where I was, the top of the long drive waiting for the bus when I said my first bad word. I was ten.
The bus driver played the radio as we wended our way through the Gipsy Trail Club to Kent Elementary. Our favorites were Jimmie Rodgers – the guy falls in love with a honeycomb – and Buddy Holly and the Everly Brothers. The current hits.
Realize now we were given the puppies, so we would be more amenable to change.
And the dogs might’ve been the saddest part of the whole adventure.
We had to leave them behind.
You just can’t turn loose two Welsh Terriers for two or three years and expect them fit in on your return to that half acre on Kelly Ridge. We did go back, back to the little bedroom we shared. Two boys half again as big and the room smaller than ever.
Old Tom, a resident at The County Farm, loved MacTavish almost as much as I did and he’d watch over him. I can picture the two of them, the sun shining, old man and stud dog, in my mind, they are both waving.
A church relocated to that precise location memorializes the event.
Veterans Memorial Park
Info:
Putnam County Park is the venue of numerous events throughout the year including the 4-H Fair, Irish Feis, Daniel Ninham Pow-Wow, and Horse and Dog Shows.
Things to do:
- Hiking
- Swimming (Memorial Day to Labor Day)
- Fishing (children 16 and under)
- Ice Skating
- Cross Country Skiing
- Volleyball
- Basketball
- Playground
- Adult fitness equipment
- Veteran’s Museum (hours vary)
Trail Map:
Location: 201 Gipsy Trail Road Carmel, New York
Park Hours: 10:00 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.
(Memorial Day to Labor Day)
10:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
(Fall, Winter and Spring)
Park Office: – open during park hours
Information, application forms and maps for all Putnam County Parks and Conservation Areas including Tilly Foster Community Gardens available here
Phone 845-808-1994
Park Fees:
$8.00 Day pass (Veterans enter for free)
$40.00 Annual Vehicle Permit
$20.00 2nd Vehicle Permit
$20.00 Senior Citizen Vehicle Permit
$15.00 2nd Senior Citizen Permit
$85.00 Non County Resident Vehicle Permit
$100.00/day Group Use Permit
$50.00/ ½ Day Group Use Permit
$100.00 Lower Park Pavilion Rental (additional parking fee required)
$50.00 Vendor Permit
$1000.00 Wedding Rental Fee
Rentals:
Lower Pavilion: The lower pavilion can be rented out for the whole day. People have rented it out for birthday celebrations, graduation parties, and family functions. The pavilion holds approximately 75 people and has electric and a barbeque pit available. Bathrooms and the playground area are also close by. The pavilion costs $100 for the day and each car costs $8 for admittance which can be paid by the renter or individually.
Upper Park: The upper park pavilion is also available for rental. This pavilion can hold approximately 200 people and requires a group use permit. The pavilion also has electricity.
The Wappinger Monument at the entrance to the upper portion of the park has a long story. The monument was the 1994 brainchild of then Kent Historical Society (KHS) President Penny Ann Osborn and county historian Richard Muscarello. The granite slab of the main monument is from the old Boyd’s Dam which was built in the late 1800’s, courtesy of the efforts of Mr. Muscarello. The stone was originally taken from a quarry at the site of Van Cortlandt Park, near an area called Indian Fields – which just happens to be where Chief Daniel Nimham was killed (along with his other warriors) by the British at the Battle of Kingsbridge on 08/31/1778 during the Revolutionary War. Money was raised by the KHS, and Richard Othmer erected the first portion of the monument, then the project idled for five years.
In 1999 the Nimham Mountain Singers was formed, with one of its goals being to raise funds to finish the monument. In 2007, 12 granite stones from Vermont were purchased and engraved with the names of 11 Native American Tribes – the twelfth stone is dedicated “To All Native American Veterans”. Richard Othmer and Gil Cryinghawk Tarbox refinished the main monument in 2009. In 2010 the Children of the American Revolution raised the funds for the center firepit. In 2011, a grant paid for a new plaque on the main stone that included a bronze relief of Chief Nimham. The new plaque was placed in May 2012.
Veteran’s Museum:
The park is also home to a veteran’s museum honoring all men and women who have served in the armed forces. The museum has a large selection of authentic memorabilia spanning from before the American Civil War to present day military operations. The museum is open on Wednesdays from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and by appointment. Call the park office at 845-808-1994 for appointments.
MEMORIALS LOCATED AT THE PARK:
Putnam County Veteran’s Memorial
Dedicated “to honor all men and women of Putnam County, NY who answered our nation’s call to duty and service in time of war and time of peace. Always keep them in your heart and prayers. For all gave some – some gave all.” Dedicated August 2nd, 1997.
This is a round red brick memorial with 7 vertical stone pillars and flags, each of them re-presenting one branch of the US Armed Forces and the Putnam County Joint Veterans Council.
The horizontal bricks contain the names of veterans of the US Armed Forces.
New bricks can be purchased and dedicated at Putnam County Veterans Memorial Park.
Gold Star Mother’s Monument
Dedicated to all mothers who lost a child serving our country.
Dedicated June 2006. This is a bronze statue of a grieving mother on a black granite pedestal with 5 granite benches around it. There is a red brick walkway leading to the monument from the main parking lot.
Blue Star Memorial By-Way
“A Tribute to the Armed Forces of America” Donated by the Ninth District F.G.C.NYS, National Council of State Garden Clubs, Inc. This is a 3’x3’ square stone with a plaque surrounded by landscaping located across from the M60 Tank.
Boy Scout Memorial
“To all Scouts that served in the Armed Forces” Dedicated in Spring of 2007.
This is a 3’x4’ round stone with a plaque surrounded by landscaping located across from the M60 Tank.
Victory Gardens
To honor all Veterans.
Donated by The Buddhist Association of the United States.
The three gardens located directly behind the Putnam County Veterans Memorial.
Putnam County’s First Park Memorial
Dedicated in 1971. This is a 4’x5’ round stone surrounded by a flower garden with a plaque containing the names of the members of the Board of Supervisors and Park and Recreation Advisory Committee as well as an acknowledgement of businesses and organizations who made contributions to the park. Located near the playground.
Cobra AH-IG/S/F Helicopter
This Cobra 318 was purchased by the US Army in 1967. It served in the Vietnam War from February 1968 thru November 1969. In May 2001 the helicopter was moth-balled at Fort Drum, NY and arrived at Putnam County Veterans Memorial Park in October 2002. The pole-mounted helicopter is located to the left of the Veterans Memorial.
US Navy Anchors
Two crossed anchors off Navy ships represent this branch of the US Armed Forces. This memorial is located between the M60 Tank and the Veterans Memorial.
Angel of Hope
Dedicated to parents who lost a child.
A bronze statue of an angel on a stone pedestal located near the lake.
M60A3 Series Tank (Patton Series)
This tank saw action with the Israeli forces during the Yom Kippur War in both the Sinai and the Golan Heights. Two members of the Armed Forces who served using this tank were present at the dedication ceremony at the park. This memorial is located to the right of the Veterans Memorial.
