South Slope Sidewalk Memorial Trees

A bunch of trees dotting 8th Avenue in front of the Park Slope Armory, and some more on 15^th street off Prospect Park West, are dedicated to soldiers from Brooklyn who died in recent wars. I don’t know how official staple-gunned, wrinkly, laminated signs are, but they are a lovely thought. I gently touch the trees or nod in respect as I walk by in a moment of tribute for these Brooklyn guys who gave their lives.

While it’s traditional to place flowers on a soldier's grave, or fly an American flag outside of your house, a lot of us here in Park Slope don’t hang out in cemeteries on a regular basis and most of us don’t have houses on which to hang a flag so the tree notices suffice. Folks who want to go the official route have a tree registered in Prospect Park through the Prospect Park Alliance. 

I dig the unofficial, grassroots approach, but I’m worried that those signs aren’t going to make it through the winter. Here’s hoping the officially dedicated trees (and plain ol’ non-dedicated trees) in the park and around the neighborhood survive the storms of the upcoming fall and winter. Many didn’t last year. 

For those who admire these South Slope sidewalk memorial trees, please note that on the bottom of the memorial notice it says “Respect This Tree.” Some of the signs continue that thought with “Curb Your Dog.” Translation: please don’t let your pup piss or crap on the trees! Curb all canine bodily functions for the sake of these memorial trees (and any trees, for that matter). Respect the trees. Respect the soldiers.

Does anyone know who put these memorial signs on the South Slope sidewalk trees? Do you dig ‘em or are you an asshole who allows your mutt to mark them as his own?