Memorial deadline nears
Dear editor:
The Garland County Memorial and Military Park is a tribute to all veterans who sacrificed their well-being to defend the principles of freedom and democracy on which our nation was built. The memorial assures that our veterans are recognized, honored and thanked for the service that they provided to us and our country. The memorial educates our future generations about the human cost of our defense and serves as an eternal reminder of the debt we owe our veterans.
You can honor your father, your mother, your grandfather, your uncles, aunts, friends, etc., by donating and purchasing a brick with their name engraved on it. Several families have paid tribute to their loved ones that served our country in the military. A brick costs $100 and the pavers are $500 and $1,000. The pavers hold several names, so several names can be on one.
The memorial features the names of several servicemen and women with bricks and pavers. The five pillars of the monuments represent the five branches of the military and have the names of the Medal of Honor, the Distinguished Service Cross and Silver Star recipients.
In 2015, we added the Fallen Hero Memorial Statue in the likeness of U.S. Navy SEAL Chief Petty Officer Adam Brown representing our men and women who gave their all.
We are a nonprofit with a committee of nonpaid volunteers. To learn more, come by the memorial at 118 Orange St. (next to the farmers market and behind Transportation Plaza) or visit: http://www. gcvets.com.
Deadlines for ordering bricks and pavers each year is April 1 for our Memorial Day Services and Sept. 1 for our Veterans Day services. Each year the names of each new brick and each new paver are read during our events. You do not need to be a veteran to purchase a brick or a paver; community leaders have purchased them in support of our servicemen and women and the Veterans Memorial and Military Park.
For more information contact: Dick Holden, secretary, 501-627-8756; Jackie Davis, treasurer, 501-282-9745; Jo West Taylor, chairman, 501-622-9745; Walt Thrasher, vice chairman, 850-624-0542.
Jo West Taylor Davis Chairman Garland County Memorial and Military Park