Town receives plaque in memory of Merriam

By Gloria Austin
Staff Writer
    HOULTON — A special ceremony was held Monday at Monument Park in Houlton.
    Almon “Tiny” Hemore, Chapter 10 DAV Service Officer, presented the town of Houlton with a plaque commemorating Major General Henry Merriam of the United States Army.
    “In recognition of veterans organizations in the state of Maine, I present this plaque to our town manager,” said Hemore. “This plaque is to be placed with honor of our departed comrade, Henry Clay Merriam, who had the distinguished honor of his country, earning the Medal of Honor.”
Pioneer Times photograph/Gloria Austin
PRESENTATION — Almon “Tiny” Hemore, right, Chapter 10 DAV Service Officer, presented Town Manger Eugene Conlogue, with a plaque to honor Medal of Honor recipient Henry Clay Merriam of Houlton. Also at the presentation are, left, town councilor Sue Tortello and between Conlogue and Hemore, George Mathis, past state commander of the DAV. Other veterans gathered at the Civil War Monument in Monument Park on Monday to be part of the ceremony.
    Merriam raised and led a Houlton company of infantry into historic battles of the war between the states. He is the only Houlton man to win the highest United States military decoration, leading the 73rd USCT [Colored Troops] to capture Fort Blakeley, Ala. The last battle of the Civil War.
    “On behalf of the Town of Houlton, I was very pleased to accept a plaque in honor of Major General Henry Merriam, a son of our Town who became a hero of the Civil War,” said Conlogue. “The plaque will be placed on the existing Civil War memorial in Veterans Park.”
    Merriam received the Congressional Medal of Honor on June 28, 1894 for extraordinary heroism during the Civil War.
    He later retired a major general on February 19, 1903 and died in November, 1912.
    “While General Merriam might be Houlton’s only recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor, his courage and bravery has been matched by thousands of Houlton veterans over the many years and many wars,” added Conlogue. “As is often quoted:  “All gave some and some gave all” to protect our freedom and liberty.”
    Conlogue credited Hemore for his persistence at getting the memorial plaque.
    “A special note of thanks also goes to Almon “Tiny” Hemore for his efforts over many years to bring this project to honor General Merriam to a successful end,” said Conlogue.  “Without the efforts of special people like Mr. Hemore, the heroic actions of many would go unnoticed in the annuls of history.”