The other day, I accidentally came across a memorial dedicated to Albert J. Restaino, a private who died in the first World War (1914-1918). The plaque caught my interest because of its location. Its installed discretely under a tree near a very busy intersection in Brooklyn. I would have definitely overlooked it had I not been taking photos of the neighborhood at the time.
Although many of these memorials have been removed over the years, the ones that still remain serve as a lasting tribute to our nation’s fallen war heroes. After World War I, residents began planting trees, installing plaques and changing street names in honor of each borough’s war dead.
At the time, New York had much closer ties to the war compared to the rest of the country. That’s why you can find hundred of memorials scattered across the city, especially in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens.
The trees are still alive after nearly a century.
