Watertown Celebrates Restoration of Soldier's Monument, Veterans Day

The statue in Saltonstall Park sits solemnly in a tree filled plaza next to Watertown's Town Hall, but years of exposure to the elements left it in disrepair. 

The Soldier's Monument was dedicated on Halloween 1889 in memory of soldiers lost in the Civil War. It has made an impact on many, including Watertown native and retired Marine Capt. Will Clifford.

He told those gathered at the monument's rededication that, as a child, he would look at the face of the soldier in the statue and wonder what he was thinking about. Later, when he became a member of the military himself he thought of the face again. Clifford served in Vietnam in 1967 and 1968 and the face came to him at some important times.

"There were certain times when I didn't know where to turn and I didn't now if I could get up the next morning and know what I had to do," Clifford said. "That's when the face came to me."

The face, of the soldier, and other parts of it, had seen better days. The nose had fallen off, as had the rim of the soldier's hat and the hand holding the rifle, said Steve Magoon, Watertown's Director of Economic Development and Planning. 

Jon Spector and his wife Yasmina often walked past the statue to get to Watertown Square and they saw what a state the statue was in. They decided they wanted to do something, so Jon joined the Watertown Historical Society and approached the Town Council to see if help could be provided for the repairs.

Town Manager Michael Driscoll and the Town Council decided to put money aside for repair of the Soldier's Monument and other monuments around town. 

Monday, veterans, residents and town workers gathered to rededicate the newly renovated monument. It now has a smooth, white surface with no signs of cracks or missing parts. The cannons have been repainted black, too.