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01/31/2023 08:53 AMDeep River will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the town's World War I monument in May, and thanks to a unanimous decision on Jan. 24 by the Board of Selectmen (BOS), a new committee will oversee the festivities.
The World War I monument sits at the intersection of Main and Essex Streets and features a bronze eagle set atop a large boulder. A plaque set into the boulder honors the "patriotic men and women who served their country in time of war."
Richard Nagot, a member of the town's Veterans Green Monument Committee, brought the idea for a celebration to the BOS.
"This is not a veteran's thing," said Nagot. "The eagle on the rock was paid for by citizens' donations, and what's inside of it is very, very important, and what goes back inside of it, when we decide to close it up, is very, very important."
What's "very, very important" is a time capsule buried by residents on Memorial Day, May 30, 1923. A new time capsule, dedicated by the town during Deep River Day celebrations on Sept. 17, 2022, commemorates the 75th anniversary of the town's name change from Saybrook to Deep River. It will replace the still-buried 1923 time capsule on Memorial Day, May 29, and remain in the ground for 100 years.
Nagot pointed to other towns across the country in Ohio and Pennsylvania with similar historical projects that national news outlets picked up. He suggested that the capsule under the eagle could cause the same effect, especially given the length of time the object has been buried and its significance.
"I'm being very, very optimistic about what's in there," he said. "How often do you open up a time capsule that's 100 years old?"
In suggesting a celebration, Nagot said inaction surrounding the monument and its meaning for the town "has been the sore thumb in my side for a long time, trying to get things done on the Green."
First Selectman Angus MacDonald agreed that the opening of the time capsule is a noteworthy event and said that Nagot should sit on a committee in charge of determining the celebratory plans for its opening.
Nagot suggested town organizations such as the Deep River Historical Society could become involved in whatever plans may be formulated, to which McDonald concurred.
"We definitely want to get some folks from the historical society involved," he agreed.
Although the monument was dedicated to the town on Memorial Day in 1923, Nagot insisted the centennial celebration of the World War I monument should not be part of the town's normal Memorial Day activities.
"Memorial Day is about honoring the veterans who are no longer with us. [With] the eagle on the rock, everybody I talk to, we're 100 percent it should be separate," he said.
McDonald wondered if the lifting of the capsule could be part of the town's celebration for the national holiday overall.
"I kind of like the idea of making it a big Memorial Day celebration, regarding that," he said. "If we open it up a little early, and then we have part of Memorial Day celebration on the Green, is rededicating it, putting it back in place?"
McDonald and Nagot both considered additional action for the plaque on the monument, either adding a new, smaller plaque or replacing it entirely. The committee is expected to consist of six volunteers working on plans for the time capsule swap. Those plans would also include determining whether it should be part of Memorial Day celebrations.