Each year, there’s a little extra love shown to local veterans in South Philadelphia.
Thanks to an effort by resident and Army veteran Frank Criniti, the beautiful veterans monument at 18th and Bigler streets is expanding and gathering more attention in the neighborhood.
The “All For One” memorial was once again the site of a short Veterans Day ceremony that honored all who served in the United States military. A large crowd gathered to salute veterans at Criniti’s monument that includes large flags of each military branch on the triangular piece of land across from his home near Moyamensing Avenue.
“It’s fantastic but I expected it,” Criniti said of the turnout. “It’s not just me that does this. You might see me out here in the morning, but time is nothing for me. I say it from the bottom of my heart. It’s for all the veterans.”
This is the third year of the celebration. The monument started small but has expanded significantly in just two years.
“I started this memorial with one flag for my brother Joe,” Criniti said. “Then one flag turned into many. This memorial is not only dedicated to him, but to all the veterans and all the active duty personnel.”
His brother Joe, who passed away in 2020, was not the only veteran Frank had in mind when he created the memorial. Criniti often thinks about the guys he served with more than 50 years ago. One particular was a fellow kitchen worker.
“I was a cook in the Army,” Criniti said. “We had a new guy come in, and in cook school they would teach you to cut the big oil cans on all four sides. This private only cut the three sides and lifted it up from the side and it came down on him and cut both his arms down to the bone. I grabbed my apron and made a tourniquet. They helicoptered him out and to this day I don’t know if he lived or died. It’s sad. I was never able to find out. I keep thinking of him and a few other buddies from Vietnam. When I do a speech, I think of them.”
The ceremony on Nov. 10 was attended by members of the VFW Post 8714 in Glendora, New Jersey, who fired a 21-gun salute. Prior to that, 14-year-old Vivianna DiPasquale, a student at Paul VI High School in Haddonfield, delivered a beautiful rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner. Local residents paid tribute to military members and shook hands with their neighbors in unseasonably comfortable weather.
“Wherever you are, if you see a veteran, please walk up to them and shake their hand and say thank you for your service because they dedicated their lives and their time for this country,” said Bill Simpson, Commander of VFW Post 8714. “It will feel 10 times better if you walk up to them and thank them for their service.”
It’s a motto Criniti follows every day. He refuses monetary donations but does accept help from those who can help beautify his creation.
“People pass by and say they want to donate something,” Criniti said. “I don’t accept money. But people will say their husband was in the Navy or the Marines and they want to give something. I’ll say if you want to donate a shrub or a flower, that’s fine. And the next day they are here.”
This year, Criniti, with the help of ironworkers and engravers, added 10 podiums along the sidewalk along Moyamensing. Each one represents one of the wars the United States has fought with the dates of each war and the number of casualties engraved on each. It was a last-minute addition just in time for this year’s ceremony.
“Two days ago,” Criniti said with a laugh. “They were welded eight months ago and the podiums were made a couple months ago but they were just installed.”
Next year, a large stone with the words, “All gave some, some gave all” will be added near the tall flagpoles.
“Every year, I put something new in here,” Criniti said. “Next year, we will have the big stone that we will dedicate to the veterans.”
The memorial has come a long way from when it was first drawn up on paper.
“The neighbors at first, a few were a little negative about it,” Criniti said. “But once I got rolling with it and drew up the blueprints myself, they could see what was developing here and they got on board.”
