Waterford ― Even after 37 years of serving in the Army, Frank Levanti Jr. still honors his brothers and sisters who served, one brick at a time.

Levanti, 74, a life-long resident, is a member of the Path of Honor Committee, which is responsible for laying bricks at the monument outside of Town Hall that contain the engraved names of veterans, both living and deceased.

Anyone who wore the uniform and has a tie to the town, whether that be through family members or friends, is eligible to be honored on a brick.

The monument will be comprised of 675 engraved bricks by the end of this week after the group installs the newest 10 bricks on Saturday. The bricks used to be installed monthly, now about 10 bricks are put in place twice a year, once before Memorial Day and again before Veterans Day.

The initial goal was to get 500 bricks installed. Now, as the total nears 700, Levanti said 1,000 “would be fantastic,” but is unsure if the group will ever reach that milestone. Levanti has trouble walking these days and no one else is in line to take over the project.

“I don’t think there’s anyone who wants to take it,” he said. “So when we’re done, we’re done.”

Levanti got the idea for the project after visiting his aunt in Rhode Island, who had laid two bricks for her five brothers at a similar monument. Levanti served in the U.S. Army Aviation for 37 years and in three wars. His brother was drafted into the Vietnam War and his father served in World War II.

“Anybody that served is a brother to me, or a sister,” Levanti said. “They’re all brothers in arms to me. This is my way of recognizing them.”

He thought Waterford may have a location to create a brick monument of it’s own, and found a space at Town Hall in 2007.

He reached out to then-First Selectman Dan Steward, who granted permission for the project on town grounds, and told Levanti he should reach out to Bob Strohl Jr., the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 6573 commander in town.

“He got it started because he thought it was a great project,” Levanti said of Strohl, who served in the Navy. “He’s helped me right along.”

Strohl was able to recruit VFW members William Bartelli and David Anderson of the Navy and Brian Anderson of the Air Force to help with the project. Gail Molly, the women’s auxiliary president of the VFW accepts applications for bricks at the post while Linda Greer, a receptionist at Town Hall helps distribute applications.

Strohl could not be reached for comment about the project.

Donald Morton, a professional mason in town, volunteered to lay the bricks at no cost and continues to do so. Levanti explained Morton could not serve in the armed forces due to medical reasons, so he has used the project to give back.

By Memorial Day of 2008, the first bricks were in the ground.

Nowadays, Levanti said he and Strohl are the only two veterans still involved in the project, while the others are “really good people to have work with us.”

Levanti and his wife, Kathy, described the long process to get the bricks in the ground. Levanti is sent the applications and $50 checks from the VFW. He then inputs the information with Bricks R Us ― a brick engraving service based in Florida. Strohl proof reads everything before he submits the payment.

The bricks are delivered within a month or so. The two then double check the bricks for any errors before scheduling a time with Morton and the town’s Parks and Recreation Department to install them.

“We’ve always done it and everyone seems to be appreciative of it,” Levanti said.

Levanti will also read through obituaries and reach out to families of veterans who have passed away about the project. Sometimes he reaches out to funeral homes as well.

Levanti explained that any excess funds the project has go right back into the monument. Early on, they were able to add the insignia of each branch of the armed services to the granite stone slab at the center of the path.

“We still have to acknowledge our veterans,” Kathy Levanti said. “Without them, we wouldn’t have our freedom.”

k.arnold@theday.com