Local & Family History
The opportunity to honor my Grandfather and his Battalion comes with immense pride. I am grateful that I can honor their service 100 years later to educate and inspire other people to look for the WWI stories in their family. With over 4 million men and women serving, you are certain to find that story.
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Michael J. Capets (1965-1988) and Andrew A. Capets (1895-1976)
This is how I remember my Grandpap. Take note of his Battalion photo hanging on the wall behind him. One of the reasons I love this photo so much is because it includes my cousin Mike. Unfortunately, Mike was killed in a construction accident at the age of 23, the same age that my Grandpap served in the Great War. I was devastated when I learned of my cousin's death at such a young age. I can only imagine how many times that feeling played out for the families of young men during the Great War.
The Trafford World War I Memorial was dedicated by the residents on November 11, 1919. The black and white photo shows the memorial when it was first installed in the park. Note the concrete wooden forms still around the base of the memorial where the granite monument was placed. My grandfather's name does not appear in the right column with the other names. The photo showing a close-up of the names shows my grandfather's name added to the bronze plaque after the first cast of bronze. Below his name appears the name of his friend Ivan Mlinaric. This name was believed to have been added to the memorial after the death of his son, Elmer Mlinaric, who was killed in World War II.
As a member of the Trafford Veterans Memorial Renovation Committee, I was honored to be involved in the restoration efforts of the park in Trafford, and the refurbishing of this World War I monument. I was extremely proud of our efforts as a group and submitted a grant application to help recognize the work we accomplished. On September 27, 2017, the United States World War One Centennial Commission and the Pritzker Military Museum & Library recognized this memorial as an official “WWI Centennial Memorial” as part of their 100 Cites/100 Memorials grant program. Trafford was on the list of the first 50 to receive the grant.