The Story Behind the Story

One of the fun things that often happens when researching history is stumbling upon a new story, a connection that you weren't aware existed. Such was the case of the IBM Endicott WW2 Memorial. While working on the original video for Memorial Day 2023, I'd sit on a bench that provided the perfect view. I'd put my camera equipment there as I set up for drone shots and other recording. Little did I know, the bench had a story of it's own. 

I mentioned elsewhere that the War Memorial Monument was created by the Vermont Marble Company of Proctor, Vermont. While the IBM Endicott War Memorial Committee provided input, the design came from Earl C. Richardson. A man with artistic skills beyond monuments. His design would be turned into reality by Louis J. Lertola, a craftsman who came from Italy when he was twelve as his family, and others, moved to the small town of Proctor to work at the Vermont Marble Company. Before IBM would commit to the monument they wanted an idea of how it would look at the original location, the IBM Endicott Country Club. Today that would be a task accomplished with some digital photo editing. In the 1940s, Earl Richardson accomplished it by painting a picture of what it would look like. And of course IBM approved.

I confess that prior to researching the War Memorial, the name Vermont Marble Company did not register with me. But now, I feel the spirit of the people carved into me. It is rich in history and the parallels to the Endicott, NY story are incredible. Both towns grew quickly as the 19th century gave way to the 20th; both were based on a primary industry; both brought in skills from various parts of Europe; both had leaders worth being role-models. Vermont Marble would gain the rights to not just the coveted Vermont marble, but also that of other states such as Colorado and Alaska. 

Odds are that you have seen, if not looked upon and touched, the marble hewed from the ground and carved by this company. Many of the monuments in Washington DC include their work: Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, parts of the Smithsonian, and many, many more. Most impactful for me and this research was learning that the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is a Vermont Marble Company creation.

But wait. There's more to the story. Earl Richardson and his wife Pearl were friends with Louis and Dorothy Lertola. A small town like Proctor, everyone knew everyone, especially if they were part of the Vermont Marble Company. As fate would have it, two of the children of these two families, Robert (Bob) Richardson and Jean Lertola, would come to play tennis one day. And love apparently following them off the court. Bob would serve in the US Army during the Korean War. The couple that connected the designer and builder of the IBM WW2 Memorial would eventually move to Broome County as Bob would hire on at IBM Owego (a brief period at IBM Endicott as Owego was just opening up). He'd work on projects such as those related to the Apollo Space Program. Jean would be a nurse, rising to be head of a unit, along with the herculean task of raising five children. As a child, Jean crawled on the marble hands of presidents as their memorials were being created. She raised a strong family. One of her sons,  John, would further build iBM ties through his wife, Ardene. As a third generation IBMer, Ardene, knew the IBM family culture of the early years, adding close to 40 years of her own. 

And the bench? That was a gift to Highland Park from the Richardson Family in honor of Robert and Jean, who connected the two families behind the monument it sits before. I was blessed to get to spend the better part of an afternoon with John, Ardene, and Jean. I got a glimpse into a family knitted together by being a part of one anothers' lives. Jean has several great-grandchildren (I lost count, but she hasn't). They showed me pictures of the family gathered at the bench. Even a wedding took place there during the 2020 pandemic with the marble tower as a witness. And that painting from almost eight decades earlier that Earl Richardson did, that was a wedding gift to the new couple. 

The bench serves as a place for them to remember those in their family that came before, as well as for others to reflect on the Vermont Danby marble etched with the names of fifty-seven fallen heroes. 

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