I mentioned in an earlier post that I went to Lasdon Park and Arboretum because I’d seen some pictures of the Trail of Honor and wanted to see it for myself.

lasdontrailofhonor.com provides a considerable amount of useful information on the trail including a guided audio tour and a trail map from which the descriptions in the post (and subsequent posts) are taken.

The Veterans Memorial is a pathway, known as The Trail of Honor, and is dedicated to the veterans of Westchester County, from The American Revolution to Desert Storm. On this trail you will walk among the natural surroundings and wildlife featured in Lasdon Park as you journey through our nation’s past. At the entrance to the trail, you are welcomed by the flags of the six branches of the military: the Merchant Marines, Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard and Air Force, arranged by date of organization. As you proceed on the path into the woods, you will come across a row of bronze busts, all of which sit atop stone cairns, covered with stones from the 44 towns in Westchester. The busts are copied from similar works done by sculptor and veteran Niels Anderson (excluding the War of 1812, made by Barbara Lepak). Anderson placed these originals on display at Franklin Delano Roosevelt Veteran’s hospital, where he himself was treated. Each portrays a soldier from every American war, from the weathered militiaman of the Revolution to the sand-blown tank driver of Desert Storm.

As you proceed to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, you will gradually encounter three large bronze statues and a black obelisk, with the Muscoot Reservoir in full view. The statues feature three figures: two soldiers, one cradling the other in his arms, and a nurse rushing to attend to the wounded soldier. Inscribed on the obelisk are the 217 names of the soldiers from Westchester who were lost in the Southeast Asia conflict. Nearby is a piece of black granite inscribed with the names of eight nurses that were killed while serving in Vietnam. Surrounding the obelisk is a path made up of 5,900 paving stones, each one representing ten soldiers who were killed in the Vietnam War. As you continue through the woods, another obelisk will present itself. This monument commemorates the veterans of the Korean War, a war that is regrettably forgotten by many, but holds a special place on this trail.

.This cannon stands at the entrance to the trail. Despite my best efforts I’ve been unable to find out what it is. I even consulted with my friend, a former lieutenant-colonel of artillery in the Australian army, and he was unable to shed any light on it.

Taken with a Sony A77 II and Minolta 50mm f1.7.