Middletown

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Replica Made by Students on Float During Middletown Parade

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In honor of Memorial Day, there are several parades planned across the state on Monday, but one particular float in the Middletown parade has even more significance.

Dozens of people lined Main Street for the parade in the morning. Along with the police, fire trucks and bands playing was this float.

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It's a replica of the "Tomb of the Unknown Soldier" monument from Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. Eighteen high school freshmen at Vinal Technical High School made the monument.

Our crew was there several weeks ago as they were painting it after they assembled it using a wood frame and the three-inch foam as a shell. They also added custom trim and detailing to it.

“I’ve had a chance to watch it grow. Every time I’ve seen it I’m amazed," said Middletown Council of Veterans Commander Bill Currlin.

Currlin is the Commander of the Middletown Council of Veterans and is part of the Middletown Elks lodge. They are the ones who came to the carpentry teacher at Vinal Tech with an idea for the float. It was the students who brought it to life.

Students at Vinal Technical High School in Middletown are working on a replica of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier monument from Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia for the Memorial Day parade.

“This is a tomb that represents almost 50,000 people who have never been identified, men and women in the war. So it’s a fitting memorial, but not often talked about especially up here in the north. So we have an opportunity to share that for the first time up here," Currlin added.

It was such a meaningful display for all of the parade goers to see.

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