ALBANY’S WWII HONOR ROLLS
Beginning in 1942, Service Clubs and Honor Roll Clubs began to pop up around the city, organized to do whatever they could for those boys in the armed forces who were residents of the ward. They would donate cigarettes and snacks to our men and women overseas fighting the war.
To make public their support, each ward would choose a location for a conspicuous outdoor display. This would typically begin with the raising of a service flag, followed by the building of a giant “honor roll,” listing the names of neighborhood soldiers. These were often massive, grand affairs, and every city ward eventually created and maintained such a billboard. Sometimes there were tribute boards for multiple districts with a ward; sometimes these were supplanted by smaller boards in VFW halls, church vestibules, public establishments, and even on the lawns of private homes.
As WWII came to a close, one by one, these “permanent” tributes fell into disrepair, were vandalized, and removed without fanfare, most gone by 1948. Today, only a small handful of honor rolls remain. This posting is meant to at least document the known ones, and, with your help, fill in details of others I’ve not been able to locate.
HONOR ROLL LOCATIONS, BY WARD
First Ward – Delaware Avenue and Hurlbut Street, and Southern Blvd and McAlpin Street (Second, Fourth, and Fifth Districts), Lincoln Park – Delaware Avenue and Morton Avenue (First, Second, Seventh and Eighth Districts)
Second Ward – South Pearl Street and Second Avenue
Third Ward – Fourth Avenue and South Pearl Street
Fourth Ward – Broadway and John Street
Fifth Ward – Partition Street and Lansing Place
Sixth Ward – Third and Catherine Streets
Seventh Ward – Broadway and Tracey Street
Eighth Ward – Northern Boulevard and Colonie Street
Ninth Ward – lawn in front of School 20
Tenth Ward – Townsend Park (still extant, shrine replace by a boulder in 1951)
Eleventh Ward – McCrossin and Pennsylvania Avenues (still extant)
Twelfth Ward – Sheridan Avenue and Dove Street
Thirteenth Ward – Madison Avenue and Western Avenue
Fourteenth Ward – Eagle Street and Lancaster Street, next to the old Medical College, opposite Albany Police Headquarters
Fifteenth Ward – Myrtle Avenue and Swan Street
Sixteenth Ward – Dana Park (Madison Avenue and Lark Street)
Seventeenth Ward – Swinburne Park (Clinton Avenue and North Manning Boulevard)
Eighteenth Ward – School 4 (north side), New Scotland Avenue and Maplewood Avenue (south side)
Nineteenth Ward – Manning Boulevard and Kent Street
OTHER HONOR ROLL LOCATIONS, CITY OF ALBANY
329 Delaware Avenue, by William Bradley James, apartment house caretaker
Albany Police, Second Precinct
Bleecker Stadium – scoreboard was turned into combination scoreboard and honor roll
Brotherhood of Railway Carmen – Carmen’s Hall, Clinton Avenue
Congregation Sons of Abraham – South Ferry Street and Franklin Street
Jewish Community Center
Morton Avenue and Elizabeth Street
Second Avenue and West Van Vechten Street
1942, rededicated 1961 and again in 2018
From the Second Avenue Neighborhood Association on Facebook, 2018: “Yesterday a Veteran’s Day service was held in the West VanVechten Community Memorial Park to honor all the veteran’s who served our county from our neighborhood and the City of Albany. Thanks to the Sgt. Henry Johnson Jr ROTC (Albany HS) for the Color Guard and the American Legion and VFW who organize this service every year. We are grateful that this service is held here each year as this is one of the few community veteran’s memorials left in the City. Take the time this week to thank a veteran – a neighbor, friend, relative – for serving our country and remember those who did not come home. It is because of their service that we can live in peace”
taken August 13, 2020
West Albany – Sand Creek Road and Everett Road, Exchange Street and Sumter Road
Whitehall Road Improvement Association – School 23
OTHER HONOR ROLL LOCATIONS, SUBURBAN
Altamont – Village Park
Bethlehem – Service Men’s Park, Delaware Avenue and Oakwood Place (rededicated 1962, restored and enhanced 2001, new park sign 2002)
2020
photo credit Steve Stoessel
Colonie – School 20, Stop 28 Albany-Schenectady Road (Central Avenue)
Guilderland – lawn of Presbyterian Church
courtesy Guilderland Historical Society
Guilderland Center – Cobblestone School
courtesy Guilderland Historical Society
Latham – originally in the center of the circle, moved to Latham Corners Shopping Center and rededicated in 1957, moved to Kiwanis Park 1976.
Kiwanis Park
Loudonville – Town Hall, Minaville
McKownville – 1421 Western Avenue on the property of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur W. Witbeck
Menands – Menands Municipal Building
Slingerlands – Slingerlands Fire Hall
Voorheesville
Westmere – Westmere Fire House
courtesy Guilderland Historical Society
NEED MORE INFORMATION
Swan and Sheridan
The Service Club, Workman’s Circle, 2 Ash Grove Place
MODERN MEMORIALS
Colonie – The Crossings of Colonie
New York State Women Veterans Memorial – Empire State Plaza, near the Museum
New York State World War II Memorial – – Empire State Plaza, near the Museum
Further reading:
Doc Circe Died For Our Sins 
2 Responses to “ALBANY’S WWII HONOR ROLLS”
I lived across the street from the one at the intersection of Sheridan and Dove Street in the 1940s.
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