September 29: The crane arrives 7:55 a.m. and the granite arrives 10 minutes later at 8:05. The five pieces are unloaded and begin to be hoisted into place on the site. We couldn't resist a peek (above) of the engraving.
First two pieces installed: Jack Afonso and Tony of Riverside Stone Co. move and set the center back piece (Left and Center) over pins in the concrete base, and then set the base for the statue pedestal (Right).
End of the first day: Rods had to be set and holes drilled in the concrete bases to take the rods for all the granite. After much jockeying and testing for alignment, the right slab (Air Guard) is set along the back on the right side.
September 30: The left rear slab (Army Guard) is raised and set into place (left 2 pictures). The center pedestal for the Minuteman statue is hoisted, rods are set in the bottom, and lowered into holes drilled in the concrete.
October 1: Memorial Committee member Jean Vanti holds the measuring tape for Keith and Paul Salvati, stone masons, who are laying out the "soldier" bricks set upright to form the perimeter. After much measuring and rechecking of the layout, the perimeter bricks are installed.
October 2: More fill is brought in to raise the level to a height so that more "soldier" bricks can be set.
TA DA: Ready for more fill and sand in order to start laying the bricks.
October 2: Committee members and volunteers spread the fill (Left) so that the "soldier" bricks can be finished (right).
PROGRESS OF THE R.I.N.G. RETIREES LIVING MEMORIAL September 29, 2009 to October 24, 2009 , Pictures by members of the R.I.N.G. Retirees Association Memorial Committee
October 9: Sand is spread (left) over the fill in preparation for installing the bricks. Bill O'Mara checks the distribution of the bricks on the pallets (center) around the perimeter to make sure all are present and organized so that the basic scheme (Army Guard on the left, Air Guard on the right) will be easy to install.
Levels are taken (right) to insure the water will drain off as required.
At the end of a rainy day (below, left) the sand in the triangular area has been spread and leveled in anticipation of the brick laying.
October 10: A dozen volunteers (mostly retired from the Air Guard) show up to help lay bricks on the Columbus Day weekend. MAJ Dave O'Mara (son of CSM [Ret.] Bill O'mara) gets an opportunity to place his own brick (left). Volunteers work with stone mason Keith Salvati (center) feeding bricks while others check the layout on the pedestal in order to bring the bricks to their proper location on the ground. At the end of the first day (right) about a quarter of the bricks have been placed.
2/8/08 to 5/23/09
5/24/09 to 9/26/09
10/25/09
2/8/08 to 5/23/09
5/24/09 to 9/26/09
10/25/09
October 12: Laying the bricks continues as we work our way out from the center to the perimeter granite and soldier bricks.
October 14: After a day off because of rain, work resumes laying bricks. But even before we're finished doing that, we begin to pull up some bricks covering the concrete bases for the six granite benches that will be installed.
October 15: The six granite benches arrive. Templates are applied to the concrete, holes drilled, and the first bench is lowered into place.
Lt. Gen. Centracchio arrives with much needed coffee and pitches in exposing the concrete for the last three benches. The second bench (center) is lowered into place. Epoxy is poured (right) to secure the third bench. We had to quit after that because of weather.
October 17: Keith Salvati (left) returns to cut bricks so they can be set around the bench legs. Tony Vessella (center) places the cut bricks around the legs of the three installed benches. Work continues laying bricks (right) by committee member (CSM RIARNG Ret) Jean Vanti and (Col. RIANG Ret) Leo Fox out towards the street. We shut down around noon because of the approaching bad weather.
October 20: Dry weather finally allows the last three benches to be installed. The last bench is lowered into place and set by Riverside Stone. Meanwhile, the cemetery back hoe spreads the fill around in the hopes it will be dry enough for the finished landscaping to be done tomorrow.
October 21: Mature evergreens are planted on either side of the monument (left) while shrubs are planted along the front edge of the bricks (right). Two of the supervisors (center picture) were John Bradley (L) of JBG III Landscaping/Construction and Joe Majeika (R) of Wescott Perennials. Also participating was Mike Ferriera of Aquidneck Landscaping.
October 21: Landscapers show up, courtesy of the R.I. Nursery and Landscaping Association, and begin to spread multiple truckloads of top soil supplied by the cemetery. Plants in pots (center) wait for loam to be put in the trench and be planted. A backhoe (right) grades the backside of the monument area.
October 21: Top soil grading continues all day as committee members and a few volunteers finesse the brick layout, getting rid of a few dips caused by the rain. The white plywood "Minuteman" on top of the pedestal was put there for a photo that we will use in the future.
October 22: Mulch is spread around the bush and tree planting beds (upper left). The first of four pallets of sod arrives (above) and is spread around the front of the monument footprint out to the roadway(left). The sod is trimmed around the mulched planting beds (right).
October 22: While finishing touches on the landscaping is done, Keith Salvati returns for a third and last time to cut bricks to fit around the legs of the three benches. At day's end, WE ARE DONE!
