BY SOFIA MONTAGNA
On Saturday, June 14, community members joined the Friends of Maple Grove for the official launch of Peaceful They Rest in Glory Everlasting, a novel written by the Friends of Maple Grove to honor the 27 heroes from Kew Gardens who lost their lives during WWII.
The Friends of Maple Grove is a nonprofit organization dedicated to enriching the operations of the Maple Grove Cemetery in Kew Gardens in Queens.
The book tells the stories of the 27 fallen soldiers named on the Maple Grove Cemetery’s WWII monument, one of whom is also buried in the cemetery. Until the launch of this book, these men were largely unknown to the Kew Gardens community. The project began as a collective effort by the members of the Friends of Maple Grove to uncover who these individuals were and share their stories with the Kew Gardens community.
Helen Day, vice president of the Friends of Maple Grove and co-editor of the book, speaks to attendees at the book launch event.
“We wanted to give back something to the community of Kew Gardens and the men who lost their lives,” said Helen Day, vice president of the Friends of Maple Grove and co-editor of the book. “No one knows anything about the Kew Gardens monument and the men that it commemorates.”
Dominick Critelli – a decorated WWII veteran and Kew Gardens native who wrote one of the book’s forewords – emphasized the importance of remembrance. “Freedom is very expensive,” he said. He expressed hopes that by reading this book, future generations will understand the cost of freedom and continue to work to preserve our freedom.
In a special highlight of the book launch event, Sean Miller – a 21-year-old WWII collector – presented a display of authentic WWII uniforms and gear for community members to enjoy. The display included the uniforms used throughout a variety of branches in the US military in WWII, gas masks, water canteens, soldiers’ identification cards, life belts (for if a soldier landed in the water and needed something to keep them afloat), and more.
As a special highlight of the event, Sean Miller presented a display of authentic WWII gear.
In addition to being a space for the community to honor the fallen soldiers of Kew Gardens, the book launch event served as a reminder of the importance of preserving local history. As a message to other communities, Carl Ballenas – former president of the Friends of Maple Grove and co-editor of the book – said, “Look at your own memorials. Don’t let them fade into darkness.”
