Falls Village’s role in an American war monument

FALLS VILLAGE — Apparently there’s always something new to learn about the second smallest town in Connecticut, even on a holiday like Memorial Day, when the village’s start-of-summer customs and traditions are at the forefront. 

Of course, on the bright morning of Monday, May 27, residents who gathered on Main Street — American flags in hand, cameras ready and dogs on leashes — got to see the expected: the marching group of representatives from the Volunteer Fire Department and the Ladies Auxiliary, as well as the Lee H. Kellogg School percussion band, led by Kellogg teacher Brook Martinez. 

Once they were gathered on the town Green near The Falls Village Inn, however, Selectman David Barger let attendees in on a surprising fact about their town. 

“Perhaps one of the greatest tributes to those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington, Virginia,” Barger said. 

“It is a monument that is dedicated to deceased U.S. service members whose remains have not been identified.” 

The famed marble monument, originally designed to honor fallen American soldiers in World War I, includes a panel with a relief sculpture of three ancient Greek figures representing the qualities of peace, victory and American manhood, later revised as valor. 

“Very few people know who designed the monument or, for that matter, who sculpted the tomb,” Barger continued. 

“The sculptor was Thomas Hudson Jones, a resident of Falls Village. 

“Jones and his wife, Mildred, purchased a home on Undermountain Road on May 15, 1924. In 1929 the Fine Arts Commission looked to a pool of 74 very talented and accomplished sculptors and architects and chose Jones as the sculptor and Lorimer Rich as the architect for the project.” 

Among the projects completed in his lifetime, Rich also designed the post office in Great Barrington, Mass., in 1935. 

After years of work, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was completed in the spring of 1932. It continues to be guarded by members of 3rd United States Infantry Regiment. 

“For Jones, his work on the tomb made him known in government circles,” Barger said. “He went on to design over 40 different U.S. military service medals, including the World War II Victory Medal.” The medal shows a Greek female figure symbolizing liberation, breaking a sword in two. It was one of the most widely circulated medals at the end of the war. 

“The history of the tomb will never be forgotten,” Barger concluded, “but we have to remember Jones as a resident of our close-knit community.”

In addition to the tribute to the work of Thomas Hudson Jones, the Falls Village Memorial Day ceremony honored Fred Laser, who received an award from Selectman Greg Marlowe as Volunteer of the Year. 

Laser was honored for his decades of dedication to Falls Village’s Planning and Zoning Commission, as well as for his role in the creation of Falls Village’s state-mandated Town Plan of Conservation and Development. Marlowe characterized Laser as being known for his compassion, courtesy and unassuming nature. 

“His leadership and style is a perfect example for those younger people in our town who are wondering how to volunteer and give back to their community.”