The Peru Gazette

August 20, 2026, Peru Dock – A few years ago, American Legion Post 1519 member John Rock participated in a Revolutionary War reenactment commemorating the Battle of Valcour at the Peru Dock. This morning, Rock recalled, “I looked around this historic monument commemorating the battle and didn’t see an American Flag. I knew that had to change.” Rock, a member of the Sons of the American Legion and the Sons of the American Revolution, said he has experience with flag poles. He was the person primarily responsible for having a 100-ft. pole erected in 2019 on nearby Crab Island, where War of 1812 American, Canadian, and British troops are buried. This morning, Rock witnessed the Peru Dock pole being erected and had the honor of raising the American Flag.

Peru Town Board member Rick Barber is Peru’s representative on the America250 Committee. He worked with Rock to acquire the necessary permits and keep the process moving. Barber told the Gazette, ‘Many people deserve credit for the flag poles being installed.  “Thank you to Mike Cashman and his office who got us over the finish line. Upstone Materials donated the concrete (Damon Laborde Concrete Manager),  Dan Levy from the DEC for working with me from the planning stages to the final stage of approval, Craig Randall, Helen Nerska and the Town of Peru for taking on a worthwhile project commemorating our nation’s history, NYSEG for sending a crew to raise the pole and Courtney Tetrault and his department (Peru Water-Sewer-Parks) for doing the work with the installation.”