WTNH News Channel 8 / News / 1999

	Veterans battle for control of war memorial (New Britain-WTNH) _ A group of survivors from the battle at Iwo Jima are fighting a battle here at home. They're trying to take over management of a memorial. Right now, Central Connecticut State University handles the Iwo Jima monument in New Britain. Neither side is willing to give up this fight. News Channel 8's Verna Collins reports. It's a standing history lesson, right on the edge of Central Connecticut State University's campus. A memorial for the close to 7,000 men who died in the battle of Iwo Jima during World War II. The university allowed the Iwo Jima Memorial Survivors Association to use the land for the memorial, and the school has basic control over how the property is handled. It's an agreement Dr. George Gentile is not happy about. Dr. George Gentile, Memorial Founder: "When they put all the restrictions on us, we couldn't do this we couldn't do that, then when they started to be lax about the maintenance that they were supposed to take care of." Gentile says that was the final straw. The bottom line: He believes a veteran group would be have more interest in maintaining the monument than a university would. Dr. Gentile: "If the budget gets cut what's going to be cut? The Department of Veterans Affairs doesn't have nearly as many projects as the university does." As president of CCSU, Richard Judd doesn't agree. He says the school is the perfect organization to handle the monument. Richard Judd, University President: "We want to see that it's kept up in the kind of beauty and the kind of respect it deserves. and since it's closest to us, it seems ridiculous to transfer it over to some other organization that's 15 miles away from here." Bill Stowell served in World War II. To him, it doesn't matter who's in charge of the monument. He just thinks it's important that there's a place where people can come and learn what happened during that 26 day battle. Bill Stowell, Veteran: "It gets so instilled in your heart that you can't get over it, so I think this is a wonderful thing." The president of the University says they are prepared to sign a contract or do whatever it takes to make sure improvements the association wants are taken care of; things like paying the cost for the eternal flame that the association now pays for. But the association says if the school takes over the bills, they also get to make all the decisions on programs at the monument, and they're not willing to let that happen. Today's News Page. WTNH Home Page. ©1999 WTNH/WTNH-DT A LIN station.

Veterans battle for control of war memorial
(New Britain-WTNH) _ A group of survivors from the battle at Iwo Jima are fighting a battle here at home. They're trying to take over management of a memorial. Right now, Central Connecticut State University handles the Iwo Jima monument in New Britain. Neither side is willing to give up this fight.
News Channel 8's Verna Collins reports.

It's a standing history lesson, right on the edge of Central Connecticut State University's campus. A memorial for the close to 7,000 men who died in the battle of Iwo Jima during World War II. The university allowed the Iwo Jima Memorial Survivors Association to use the land for the memorial, and the school has basic control over how the property is handled. It's an agreement Dr. George Gentile is not happy about.

Dr. George Gentile, Memorial Founder: "When they put all the restrictions on us, we couldn't do this we couldn't do that, then when they started to be lax about the maintenance that they were supposed to take care of."

Gentile says that was the final straw. The bottom line: He believes a veteran group would be have more interest in maintaining the monument than a university would.

Dr. Gentile: "If the budget gets cut what's going to be cut? The Department of Veterans Affairs doesn't have nearly as many projects as the university does."

As president of CCSU, Richard Judd doesn't agree. He says the school is the perfect organization to handle the monument.

Richard Judd, University President: "We want to see that it's kept up in the kind of beauty and the kind of respect it deserves. and since it's closest to us, it seems ridiculous to transfer it over to some other organization that's 15 miles away from here."

Bill Stowell served in World War II. To him, it doesn't matter who's in charge of the monument. He just thinks it's important that there's a place where people can come and learn what happened during that 26 day battle.

Bill Stowell, Veteran: "It gets so instilled in your heart that you can't get over it, so I think this is a wonderful thing."

The president of the University says they are prepared to sign a contract or do whatever it takes to make sure improvements the association wants are taken care of; things like paying the cost for the eternal flame that the association now pays for. But the association says if the school takes over the bills, they also get to make all the decisions on programs at the monument, and they're not willing to let that happen.

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