WEST HAVEN — Veterans who want a loved one’s name set into the Veterans Walk of Honor at Bradley Point Park have until March 19, 2027, to order a brick, as the city’s Veterans Council opens the 19th round of its campaign.
The council launched Phase 19 on Veterans Day, Wednesday, Nov. 11, during the city’s ceremony on the waterfront walkway between the William A. Soderman and Vietnam memorials. Bricks cost $75 and carry a personalized message in charcoal lettering. About 3,150 have been installed since the first campaign in November 2006, including 50 from Phase 18, which was dedicated May 27, according to the city.
“Here in West Haven, our gratitude isn’t just expressed in words spoken once a year; it is permanently etched into the very ground we stand on,” Mayor Dorinda Borer told the crowd. “This 100-yard walkway serves as a physical testament to the bravery of our neighbors, relatives and friends.”
The 25-minute ceremony drew veterans, families and city and state officials. Veterans Council President Dave Ricci, a Marine Corps veteran of the Vietnam War, asked people to “Remember the veterans; remember the ones, in particular, who never made it home.” Municipal Veterans Rep. Rich Deso, a Navy submarine veteran, read “Swaying in the Breeze,” a poem by his partner, city resident Nancy Herbert Denman. Firefighter Brian Elliott rang the fire department’s bell 11 times at 11 a.m., West Haven Vietnam Veterans members Al Beck Sr. and Howie Thomas laid a wreath at the Soderman Memorial, and University of New Haven freshman Ash Ortiz Serafin played taps. West Haven High School senior Sophia Martineau sang the national anthem.
Brick applications are available on the city website and in the mayor’s office at City Hall, 355 Main St. For details, call 203-937-3510.
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