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This is the Wolf Hill Crash Memorial in Deerfield Park in
Smithfield, R.I. shortly before the dedication ceremony on August 1,
2009. Note the 48 star flag draping the stone.
Sixty-six years after three servicemen lost their lives in a
military plane crash on Wolf Hill, in Smithfield, Rhode Island, two
memorials were dedicated in the Town of Smithfield honoring their
sacrifice.
On August 5, 1943, Lieutenant Saul Winsten, of Pawtucket, RI,
Lieutenant Otis R. Portewig, of Richmond VA, and Sgt Herbert D.
Booth, of Rahway, New Jersey, perished in the line of duty while on
a routine flight from Westover Field to Otis Field in
Massachusetts. The flight path brought them over Rhode Island where
their aircraft lost an engine and crashed. (For more detailed
information, see The Wolf Hill Plane Crash on the Town of
Smithfield website, www.smithfieldri.com)
The project was years in the making and would not have been
possible without the combined efforts and generosity of many people.
In 2006, a parcel of undeveloped land containing the crash site
was purchased by the Smithfield Land Trust thus making the site
accessible to the public. Shortly afterwards, a volunteer committee
was formed consisting of military veterans belonging to the
Balfour-Cole American Legion Post #64 in Spragueville, Veterans of
Foreign Wars Post 2929 in Georgiaville, and several private
citizens.
It was decided to erect two memorials; one in Deerfield Park
that would contain the latitude and longitude of the crash site, and
a second at the crash site on Wolf Hill. The Deerfield Park
monument would serve as a reminder of the sacrifice made by the
three servicemen, and the second would mark the site so it would not
be forgotten. The decision was made to concentrate on the Deerfield
Park project first.
The
Deerfield Park Monument
Dedicated August 1, 2009
The ceremony in Deerfield Park was attended by dozens of people
including many
members of the Winsten Family.
The Deerfield Park site required committee members to attend
public hearings, acquire permits, and negotiate the municipal
process. Smithfield Parks and Recreation Manager, Thomas J. Tulie,
was very helpful in guiding committee members through these
requirements.
Funding was raised through corporate and private donations,
either in the form of cash, materials, or labor. The Deerfield Park
monument was donated by Granites of America, located on Rt. 7 in
Smithfield. The engraving was done by A. Sciolto & Son Monuments of
Cranston. The labor provided for setting the stone in place was
done by the D’ Angelo family of Old County Road in Esmond, and the
concrete required to anchor the monument in place was donated by
Material Sand & Gravel of North Smithfield. Corporate donors
included, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Bradford-Sutcliffe Insurance of
Smithfield, Navigant Credit Union, Tucker Quinn Funeral Home of
Greenville, and Adler Construction, also of Greenville. Both the
American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars also made cash
contributions. Other monetary donations came from local citizens
wanting to help with the project.
Joe Winsten, brother of Lieutenant Saul Winsten who was lost in the
crash, speaks to those present at the ceremony after the unveiling
of the monument.
The dedication ceremony took place August 1, 2009, and was
attended by numerous members of the Winsten family, many of whom
came from out of state. Two attendees were Joe and Harold Winsten,
brothers of Lt. Saul Winsten who was lost in the crash. Joe
recalled with emotion how he visited the crash site shortly after
the accident and described what he saw.
Certificates of appreciation were given to the Winsten brothers
by the American Legion and VFW, and State and Senatorial
proclamations were provided through the efforts of Representative
Tom Winfield and Senator John Tassoni. After a three-shot rifle
salute, taps was played by a member of the Boy Scouts.
After the ceremony, all were invited to attend a reception held
at the American Legion Post on Pleasant View Avenue.
Sergeant Herbert D. Booth of Rahway, New Jersey.
(Photo courtesy of Janet Post)
The Wolf
Hill Crash Site Monument
Dedicated October 18, 2009
After the dedication ceremony in Deerfield Park, efforts were
begun to complete Phase II of the project and erect a second
monument at the crash site. Barbara Rich and Jim Gass of the
Smithfield Land Trust graciously assisted the committee in this
matter.
A rose-granite stone was donated by State Representative Tom
Winfield of Greenville. Engraving was done by the Glocester
Monument Company of Chepachet. Site work and labor was again
provided by the D’Angelo family. Getting supplies and equipment up
to the site presented special logistical problems that were
thankfully overcome.
It was during this process that a niece of Sergeant Herbert
Booth, one of the men lost in the crash, contacted the committee
after having learned of the project by a chance internet search. Up
to this time, it had been thought that Sergeant Booth had been an
only child because his obituary only listed his mother as a
survivor, and his high school records didn’t list any siblings. In
fact, Sergeant Booth was one of nine children, five of whom also
served in World War II.
The dedication of the Wolf Hill monument took place October 18,
2009. Members of the Reback-Winsten Post of the Jewish War
Veterans, located in Cranston, were in attendance to offer a prayer
service and assist with the ceremony.
The weather that day was cold and rainy, yet twenty people made
the nearly one mile trek up Wolf Hill to take part in the
dedication.
Unfortunately, wartime aviation accidents such as this happened
all too frequently, not only in Rhode Island, but across the
nation. Rhode Island alone has literally hundreds of unmarked
military aircraft crash sites, many of which resulted in
fatalities. Sadly, due to wartime secrecy, the rapid transfer of
personnel, and the constant development of breaking news, these
sites were forgotten, and faded into obscurity after the war.
Those lost in these accidents gave their lives in the
performance of their duty while in the service of their country
during wartime. It is for this reason they should not be forgotten.
Volunteers Jack Holton, (On the drill.), and Alfred and John
D’Angelo, begin site preparations for the crash site monument. The
monument was anchored to the bed rock with iron re-bar.
Finishing touches are applied.
Veterans offer a salute as Taps is played.
This monument marks the site of the crash so it will not be
forgotten.
The monument faces the direction from which the plane approached.
One newspaper account relates that a portion of the
fuselage came to rest atop the large boulder behind it.
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