A Gravestone That Reads
‘WALTER’

We miss you so much sometimes when we are walking and when you know the history behind a name it can move one’s soul.  Such was the case when I was walking through the Hackensack Cemetery in May of 2011.  I was taking pictures of the Civil war Monument in the cemetery when a veteran with flags in his car came by and started putting flags on veteran’s graves for Veteran’s Day.  I asked him for a few and offered to put some flags on graves that were not clearly marked veterans.  As I walked along I came across the Caldroney family plot where several family members were buried.  As I looked on the headstones there were three headstones which I took pause, on one side the first headstone read ---Grandpa G. Caldroney Born Aug. 7, 1837 Died Jan. 5, 1910---- then the third headstone on the other side read ---Nellie Caldroney 1886-1941--- which left the one in the middle which did not read like a grave stone but rather a memorial because I new who he was even though the headstone did not write his full name. The stone read:

WALTER
Born May 22, 1888
Died in Action at St. Mihiel France
Oct. 18, 1918

          I doubt very much that his body lay there it is probably buried on the battle field in France where he gave his life, but the family laid him to rest with people who were close to him on each side.  Going by age ‘Grandpa could have been his Grandpa he would have been 51 when Walter was born and Nellie was born only two years before Walter and may have been his sister.  I have no way of knowing, but I am sure they are family members who knew and loved Walter.   Makes you think of their depth of feeling for Walter when he was Killed in Action during his service. 

Let us never forget the soldiers sacrifice like this family that never forgot “Walter”.      

Written by:
Bob Meli
June 21, 2011