West Seneca Joint Veterans Committee

Model 1897 Gatling Gun

In 1897, the Colt Firearms Manufacturing Company produced 94 Model 1897 10 barrel 30-caliber Gatling Guns for the United States Army. These guns were delivered to the Army on August 29, 1897. It is purported that U.S. Army Lt. Joh Parker, Vth Army Mobile Gun Detachment, had four of these gatling guns on San Juan Hill and Santiago in Cuba during the Spanish-American War. Out of the four, only three actually were used.





In 1922, a Spanish-American War model 1897 Gatling Gun was donated to the Town of West Seneca and accepted by then Town Supervisor, Henry C. Lein. The gun was stored in several locations and not properly maintained, falling into disrepair.

In 2003, the gun was restored by Patrick Finnegan, Ron Fultz, Roger Harris, Ed Kowalewski, and Rich Reimers. The restored gun was displayed for a short period of time and then stored in the West Seneca Highway garage.





In 2010, the Veterans Memorial Park was dedicated, making the park the perfect place to publicly display the gatling gun. On May 4, 2012 under the direction of Supervisor Sheila Meegan and Highway Superintendent Matt English, the gatling gun was moved to a concrete pad in Veterans Memorial Park, near Town Hall, creating a permanent home for this historical piece of military armament.

In 2016, the Colt Gatling Gun was removed from its concrete pad to make room for the construction of the West Seneca Community Center. The Gatling Gun, corroded by the weather, was placed into storage at the Highway Department.

In August 2021, the West Seneca Town Board, with a grant from Assemblyman Pat Burke, authorized the restoration of the 1897 Colt Gatling Gun, realizing its uniqueness and historic value. In October 2021, the Tuckahoe Restoration Company loaded the Gatling Gun into a truck for the trip to its service center in Altoona, Pennsylvania to begin restoration of the Gatling Gun. The restoration process included the rebuilding of two new iron wheels, stripping and repainting, disassembling, cleaning and replacing missing parts. The missing magazine loader and bolt lock were also replaced. Complete restoration took until until early-summer 2022.

The restored Gatling Gun was returned to West Seneca on 11 April 2023 and placed in the Community Center for permanent display under the Hall of Flags display. A re-dedication ceremony was held on 25 April 2023, welcoming the Gatling Gun back to West Seneca. The Buildings and Grounds Department created a special “grass” mat for the Gun to rest upon. Photos of Theodore Roosevelt and his Rough Riders on San Juan Hill as well as the two dedication plaques from the previous Gun restoration and the latest Gun restoration are displayed on the wall behind the Gatling Gun.




Restored Gatling Gun Returns to West Seneca.

Gatling Gun rolled down the hall of the Community Center




The West Seneca Joint Veterans Committee would like to thank Tom Schobert, who acted as the liaison between the Town and the Tuckahoes Restorations Company in Altoona, Pennsylvania, Town Historian Jim Pace, Supervisor Gary Dixon, and Councilmember Joe Contafio, as well as New York State Assemblyman Patrick Burke for obtaining a state grant to pay for the Gun’s Restoration. The value of this weapon is priceless, so not only is this a unique piece of military history but also a very valuable one as well. Thank you for bringing it back home.




Tom Schobert donned his Teddy Roosevelt uniform for the dedication ceremony.

Gatling Gun mounted in its permanent home.

Notes of Interest:

• Branches of Service represent in the Walkway:   Army – Marine Corps. – Navy – Air Force – Seabees – Coast Guard – Merchant Marines

• Purple Heart recipients, former POW’s, and Silver Star recipients are honored in the Walkway

• Bricks honor veterans who have served in conflict here and around the world:   Civil War – Spanish–American War – World War I – Pearl Harbor – World War II – Korea – Berlin Crisis – Vietnam – Grenada – Panama – Bosnia – Somalia – Iraq – Afghanistan

• West Seneca residents who served in Iraq/Afghanistan and were Killed in Action:
  • West Seneca West Senior High School graduate Daniel J. Shaw joined the Army in July 2004 and was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Divison out of Fort Carson, Colorado. Sergeant Shaw was deployed to Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, serving in a combat area from January to August 2005 in Iraq and returned for a second deployment in October 2006. Sergeant Daniel J. Shaw, age 23, was killed in action in Taji, Iraq on November 5, 2007. He had earned numerous awards, including the Army Commendation Medal, Navy Unit Commendation, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal and Iraqi Campaign Medal.
    
    
  • Army Spc David L. Roustum – 22 KIA on November 2004 in Baghdad, Iraq when his armored Humvee was attacked by enemy forces using rocket-propelled grenades and small arms fire. Spc. Roustum was part of Operation Iraqi Freedom and assigned to the Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 108th Infantry Regiment, Tonawanda, NY
    
    
  • Marine Corps. Sergeant Frank World – 25, KIA on 1 April 2010 when his armored vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb. Sgt. World was assigned to the 2nd Light Armed Reconnaissance Battalion in Helmand Province, Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom

• As of June 1, 2023 there are a combined 2,281 engraved veteran's bricks placed in the Walkway of Freedom, Path of Glory, Path of Valor, Path of Courage, and the Path of Honor.

• Brick orders received from outside New York:   Tracy, California – Estill, Tennessee – Bethlehem, Pennsylvania – Daytona Beach, Florida – Sarasota, Florida – Frisco, Texas – Chicago, Illinois – Stamford, Connecticut – Manchester, Pennsylvania – – Eldred, Pennsylvania – Sterling, Virginia – Hagerstown, Maryland – Las Vegas, Nevada – Holt, Michigan – Citrus Heights, California – Mishawaka, Indiana – Sun Lakes, Arizona – Stephens City, Virginia – Little River, South Carolina – Memphis, Tennessee – Foster City, California –Schaumburg, Illinois – Littleton, Colorado – Fort Myers, Florida – Smyrna, Georgia – Plattsmouth, Nebraska – Durham, North Carolina – Sterling, Massachusetts – Surprise, Arizona – Athens, Georgia – Lewes, Delaware

• Brick honoring Civil War soldier:   John Smith from Olean, New York enlisted in the Union Army on 2 September 1862 joining Camp E, 48th Regular Infantry, New York State. Corporal Smith went Missing in Action on 7 May 1864 after being captured and held as a prisoner of war at the infamous Confederate Andersonville Prison in Georgia. Corporal Smith died in prison of dysentery on 3 September 1864 at the age of 27 years old. A returning soldier on foot stopped at the Smith home as Mrs. Smith, the wife of John Smith, was hanging out the laundry to tell her that her husband had died in prison. John Smith left behind 3 sons and 1 daughter

• The Walkway of Freedom was featured on the WGRZ-TV Daybreak show on Veterans Day, November 11, 2011

Construction begins on Walkway - June 1, 2011

First batch of bricks placed in Walkway - July 19, 2011

Second batch of bricks placed in Walkway - October 24, 2011

Second batch of bricks placed in Walkway - October 24, 2011

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Copyright 2012          West Seneca Veterans Committee, West Seneca, New York U.S.A.          All rights Reserved.