An early news article: (Click on the link)
When Al first started.

Albion W. Goodrich Jr., while studying his own geneology, found that his great-great-grandfather served in the Civil War.
That led him to the Civil War monument in the cemetery and the fact that it did not list all of the Kittery men who died
in the war. The monument was dedicated in 1864 and several more men died in the year that followed. 
A more complete story by Tammi Truax can be read at:

Albion W. Goodrich Jr.: "Remember All" 
Just click on the link. That article reads, in part:

"Albie noticed it was erected in 1864, a full year before the war ended and that it was engraved with 21 names, no 
longer easy to read. In what was then called the "Great Rebellion of 1861," it was important to erect a monument 
to the men lost because their bodies were (one hoped) buried where they died — on battlefields and in hospitals 
and enemy prisons — and were never returned home. That may have accounted for the town's premature inscription 
because in several years of additional research Albie discovered that the town had actually lost 36 men to that war, 
leaving quite a few forgotten. It became his mission to correct this wrong, and his countless hours of effort are 
almost finished."

Those 36 names are: Alley*, Billing, Bond, Butland, Bunker, Fernald, Frost*, Goodsoe, Hamilton*, Henderson*, Holden*, 
Hubbard, Hussey, Locke, Love, Lowell, Manson, Marden, McGraw*, Neal, E. Parker, I. Parker, Peckham, Phillips, 
Pinder*, Proctor*, Remick, Roberts*, Stackpole*, Stimson, Spinney*, Spurr*, Waldorn, Webber, Whitham, Winthrope.  
(The * denotes that they were not on the original monument.)

The article continues, "With assistance from the Kittery Naval and Historical Society and local historian Joseph W. P. Frost, 
Albie has headed up a fund-raising campaign, a cleanup and upgrade of the monument site; ordered a new bronze plaque 
with all names inscribed; and planned a ceremony to be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 3, which will befit a real Decoration 
Day and the efforts that Albie has dedicated to these long-lost local boys, many of whom he has grown attached to in 
compiling their histories. It's not just that they are local like him, that they served their country when called like him, that 
they were linked to the shipyard like him, but also their innocence, reflected in the young faces of their haunting photographs."

Al and Joe began the fundraising and Al contracted the Seacoast Memorials to cast a bronze plaque with the name, age, 
rank and unit of each of the 36 men who died in the war and, with the help of others, to clean and restore the monument.

The plaque - Click on the picture to enlarge.



Al, in the meantime, came down with liver cancer and began to change his plans. He knew he might not see the dedication 
and his full dream to its completion so he began transferring tasks to others and passing on his program and arrangements. 
The monument was cleaned thoroughly and the plaque was mounted in time for Al's sons to take him by the cemetery to it. 
He was very pleased with his project and, as he rubbed the names on the plaque, he said, "See you soon boys." 
Another newspaper article by Tammi Truax can be seen at: 

Honoring the man who honored others.
Click on the link.

Pictures of the monument after cleaning and mounting the plaque. Click to enlarge.

Al died April 15, 2008, just over two weeks short of his rededication of the monument. The ceremony was held on 
May 3, 2008 at 1000 hours as he had planned. Friends, dignitaries, veterans, military members and about 75 people 
joined Al's family for the service. Speakers included Maine's State Historian, a Sergeant of the Charles W. Canney, 
Camp #5 Reenactment Group and Al's son Sean.

Also in attendance and recognized were three members of the Abbot family, direct descendents of 
1st Lt. Joseph C. Parker whose name is on the monument. Both the Portsmouth Herald and Foster's Daily Democrat
ran articles on the ceremony. They are at:

Portsmouth Herald by Deborah McDermott.

Fosters by Gratyl MacAlaster.

Pictures of the dedication ceremony - Click to enlarge.
                    

Foot stone to Honor Al.



To both the Abbot and Goodrich families, we extend our sincerest good wishes and to say that we, as we know you are, 
proud of all the men who served in the war and especially the 36 whose names that appear on Kittery's Civil War Monument.

The finished product.



Another news article:

Thumbs Up

"Remembered"