Friends of the Veterans Affairs Committee presented the Middletown Township Committee with a $500 donation at the February meeting to help fund restoration of a World War I monument located on Church Street in Belford. The Veterans Affairs Committee is an all-volunteer advisory board dedicated to helping local veterans. The check was presented by VAC members Tom Garretson and Dennis Beauregard.
The donation, coupled with another for $1,000 from American Legion 338, will be used to help restore the circa 1930s statue. The project, scheduled to get underway this year will include repairs to the life-size doughboy statue.
The bronze doughboy stands at attention in full uniform with the barrel of a rifle in his right hand and the butt of the rifle on the ground. The figure is set upon a granite base, square in cross-section, with an angled top, resting on a rusticated granite slab. A bronze plaque mounted on the front of the pedestal contains the names of several dozen WWI veterans from Belford, Port Monmouth & New Monmouth.
Shown in the photo are Mayor Gerry Scharfenberger with VAC members Dennis Beauregard and Tom Garretson.