• People -- Introduction
• Living Memorials: Acts of Social Meaning Create Places of Resilience
• People's Relationship with Trees
• Lessons from the Field: Living Memorial Stewards
  • Forest
  • Civic Grounds
  • Park
  • Community Garden
  • Found Space
  • Event Specific

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Civic Grounds
Living Histories Flourish in a Community Rec Center

Clarkstown American Patriot Garden
Site: Clarkstown Community Center, Clarkstown, NY

Stewardship type: Partnership: Local government/informal group

Initiated by: Clarkstown Dept of Rec and Parks; Lower Hudson-Long Island Resource Conservation and Development Council

Maintenance: Clarkstown senior citizens

Land Jurisdiction: city

Purpose: The senior citizens in Clarkstown organized the first living memorial on this site in 1992. After 9/11, it seemed natural for the seniors to add this event to the "promenade of heroes." Each war is represented along the path and marked by a tree and plantings that have some symbolic meaning to the era or the battlefield. The 9/11 memorial, newly planted, has been given its place by local veterans among World War I, World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.

Reason site was selected: Many Clarkstown community clubs meet in this building. Everyone must pass by the Promenade. The site was originally selected for this reason and because it was an open, vacant space in need of some improvement. The Seniors came together to do something that could help tell the story of sacrifice and survival. "I notice when people come here and walk on the pathway" they become quiet and reflective, says Charles Connington, Superintendent of Parks and Recreation. The 9/11 living memorial has inspired new thoughts of additional plantings off the pathway and onto the adjacent lawn. This part of the living memorial is still being planned.

Events planned for the site: The outdoor living memorial compliments the activities inside the community center where the walls are filled with images and reflections of generations past. The hallways are equally colorful with seniors talking in groups, planning trips and using the center for a wide range of games and activities. After school, kids fill the center and more laughter fills the hallways of this special place. As a promenade at the heart of the town, the site will remain in use.

Additional Field Observations and New Developments:
This memorial is an excellent example of how pre-existing conditions can relate to a community's ability to come to terms with a tragedy. The senior center in New City/Clarkstown is a busy place. Seniors are laughing, arguing, playing cards, eating together and planning road trips. Inside the center, from wall to ceiling are images and newspaper articles from the 1940s. Black and white photos of service men and women cover the walls in the game room. Emblems from the U.S. Marines, Navy, Army and Air Force are represented in stained-glass on the front windows. This is a place that is safe because it belongs to a generation that may not feel as connected, or responsible, to the events of the day. Having experienced the horrors of war themselves, they have put their memories into a context and are able to survive.

Dr. Candice Monson, expert in Veterans Affairs at the National Center for PTSD, agrees that "disaster research indicates that people who have previously survived traumatic events may be particularly sensitive to the effects of later traumatic events such as terrorist acts and war. But while it may feel more natural to avoid other veterans as a way to avoid reminders of military involvement, studies show that seeking support along with other veterans can be very helpful when stress is increasing."

And so we find this living memorial rests alongside the memorials to WWI, WWII, Korean and Vietnam Wars. There is no Persian Gulf War Memorial here; rather it is 9-11, which finds a unique place among the war memorials. The seniors hold somber ceremonies and dedicated days of observation in the memorial garden, however, there is an overwhelming spirit that marches forward to embrace life today in and with the company of others that share the same memories. The hallway near the bathrooms is the common meeting space between the senior program and the youth activities. One senior remarked that they try especially hard to "decorate" this area, hoping to interest young teens in the lessons learned from another generation.