Bovina Honor Roll unveiling

Today's unveiling of the refurbished Bovina Honor Roll (see the blog entry for October 9, 2012) went very nicely, with over 50 people attending.  Two of the surviving veterans from the roll, Gordon Rabeler and Stanley 'Stub' Hewitt, were able to attend and unveil the new installed roll. 

Thanks go to:

• The Bovina Historical Society, who has had custody of the roll since the 1970s and allowed it to be reinstalled at the Community Hall.
• The Bovina Town Board, who supported putting it in the Community Hall.
• Dick Brannen, who did the carpentry work needed to stabilize the roll and allow it to be on display after almost 50 years.
• Cathie Hewitt, Carrie Hewitt Choquette, Evelyn Stewart, Shannon Shoemaker, Shirley Shoemaker and Donna Bray for help with the refreshments.
• Jim and Tom Hoy, who very generously donated the funds for the cost of refurbishing the roll.  They are doing it in memory of two of their cousins who appear on the roll, 1st Lt. Robert J. Hoy, USAAF and S/Sergeant William A. Hoy.

Tom Hoy was able to attend today's event, with the daughters of Robert Hoy.  Family members of William Hoy's family also attended, as did a number of other family members of the veterans on the roll. I've posted some of my shots.

In case you haven't seen it, there was an article in the November 2 Daily Star (Oneonta) about the honor roll at http://thedailystar.com/brightside/x121540327/Bovina-to-unveil-repaired-WWII-Honor-Roll.  Since the posting of the article in the Daily Star and in the Walton Reporter, I've had some phone calls about veterans on the roll.  Today, I found out that there are two more people from the roll who are still with us, bringing that number up to five.  Robert Lewis's daughter called me to let me know that her father and her uncle Roy Lewis are still around.  Robert lives in Florida and Roy in Virginia.

Attendees await the unveiling

Gordon Rabeler on the left and Stub Hewitt on the right after the unveiling.  To the left of Gordon are World War II vets Ed Rossley and Charlie Eustis

Tom Hoy with Bill Hoy's daughter on the left and Robert's daughters on the right.

The Bovina Honor Roll in its new location.  On the left are pictures of the roll in its original location.

I am expecting to have some better quality pictures in the next few days which I will share when I get them.  My thanks to everyone for their support of this project.