In Manchester, more than 15,000 people gathered on the Merrimack Common on September 17, 1944, as the city unveiled a temporary honor roll for the men and women from the Queen City serving in World War II. Mayor Josaphat T. Benoit accepted the elegant but temporary monument, a 12-foot hexagonal design on a concrete foundation with weather-proof plywood panels covered by glass panes and space for 10,000 names; 8,517 names appeared on the first day, and more were added as additional men and women from Manchester entered the armed forces. The honor roll became a focal point for friends, family members, and passers-by, but indifference and the elements led it into disrepair, and it was dismantled and destroyed in 1958. More than half a century later, a dedicated group of volunteers recreated the honor roll as a permanent memorial at what is now Veterans Park, honoring Manchester men and women who served in World War II, with stars marking those who gave their lives.