Nestled within the Cathedral of the Pines in Rindge is an ever-evolving monument dedicated to the men and women who lost their lives fighting for our country.
The majestic altar, built in 1946, is adorned with beautiful stones from all 50 states and every American president since Harry Truman. And with every passing year, the history of the Altar of the Nation grows stronger.
“I stop and think about it how important this monument is and I get emotional,” said John Kaufhold of Peterborough Marble & Granite Works, LLC, who has been adding stones to the altar for the past 40 years. “I love the Cathedral so much. I’ve been coming here since I was a kid.”
On May 23, Kaufhold mortared the next piece of history into the monument: a lava rock from Pearl Harbor, donated by none other than current US President Barack Obama. Hand picked by Obama on a recent family vacation, the stone is dedicated to those who have served our country and paid the ultimate price.
“I am honored to dedicate a stone from Pearl Harbor to the Altar of the Nation in solemn remembrance of the sacrifices generations of American service members and their families have made in defense of our country,” wrote Obama, in a letter that accompanied the stone to the Cathedral. “America endures because of those who devote themselves through their service to carrying forward our Nation’s cause.”
The process Kaufhold used to add the Pearl Harbor stone to the altar was painstaking to say the least. Rather than chiseling out the old stone, a generic placeholder, Kaufhold used an electric grinder to ensure that the altar would not be damaged and so the lava rock would sit properly in its place for decades to come.
Obama’s Pearl Harbor stone joins numerous other stones of great importance to the United States and those who lost their lives while serving it. President Dwight D. Eisenhower donated a rock from Omaha Beach, Normandy, France, a tribute to those who served in Europe. A stone from the Pentagon after 9/11 served as George W. Bush’s contribution.
In addition to presidents giving stones to the altar, all fifty states have made a contribution.
Louisiana offered a cannonball from Chalmette National Park, the site of the War of 1812. New Jersey’s contribution was a Little Falls sandstone, coming from where George Washington and Alexander Hamilton and others met during the Revolutionary War.
“It’s amazing being able to watch history be made,” said Laurie Kandoll, executive director of the Cathedral of the Pines.
“This monument, and all of the Cathedral for that matter, has given me an even deeper respect for those who serve our country.”
In addition to being a beloved monument in the Monadnock region, the Altar of the Nation serves as a national monument for those who have lost their lives in the line of duty, recognized by Congress in 1957.
The national recognition certainly serves as a beacon for the Cathedral, as it has served as a dedication to Sanderson Sloane – the son of landowners Sibyl and Douglas Sloane III – who lost his life when his plane was shot down over Germany in 1944, and the many others who had lost their lives during their service to the country.
“This is a very special place for me,” said Jeffrey Allen, grand marshal of this year’s Memorial Day event. “The whole Cathedral is in memory to a veteran killed in action. There is so much history here.”
Allen, a four year Navy veteran and trustee of the Cathedral, said he was honored when asked to serve as the grand marshal for the event, adding that there is no better place to celebrate Memorial Day than at the Cathedral.
“Its such a sacred place for Memorial Day and to honor those who are no longer with us,” said Allen. “And having a dedication of the stone this year will add that much more history and memory to the event itself.”
Nicholas Handy can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 235 or nhandy@ledgertranscript.com. He is also on Twitter @nhandyMLT.