Buildings at Veterans Park get new names, three others get facelift
DECATUR — When people hear the words bunker, galley, USO bandstand, they usually associate these things with the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. Recently, three buildings at Decatur’s Veteran Park received new names in honor of our nation’s armed forces from the past 160 years.
The chicken shack at Veterans Park, which was completed last year after a fire destroyed the old structure, is now transformed into an Army bunker which served as a barrier to protect troops from hostile fire. The bunker also served as a central location for the command structure of Army companies, as well as a Marine command post on land. It is only fitting that the chicken shack, which is the central building for the Decatur Barbecue and other activities, now bears the name, “The Bunker.”
Every ship that ever sailed the seven seas had a place where someone would prepare the meals for the officers and crew. Since this city was named after legendary 1812 naval commodore Steven Decatur, the barbecue pit where the chicken is prepared for the barbecue is aptly named “The Galley.”
Almost every Army base, Naval port or Air Force base has some type of facility to stage entertainment for its troops such as the traditional USO show. Now the stage at Veterans Park bears a new name that reflects this type of facility, the “Montgomery USO Stage.” This was named in honor of former Decatur mayor Bill Montgomery who passed away early in 2018 from a long battle with cancer.
In addition to Veterans Park, which is on the northwest side of the city, Decatur has six other parks, Old City Park, Royce Johnson Memorial Park, McCollum Park, Edmiston, Crystal Lake and Compton Ridge Park, all catering to individual tastes. In the last two years, the city has added several new pieces of play equipment to Johnson, Old City and Veterans Park. This invites Decatur area families to come and enjoy a nice afternoon in the park watching the kids swing, or climb, or jump around on the traditional monkey bars and swings sets.
McCollum and Crystal Lake Parks are great places to take a family picnic under the shade of beautiful foliage.
When the Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs take to the mounds or the youth baseball programs have games, Edmiston Park is an ideal place to come out and take in a good old-fashioned baseball or softball game.
These changes were part of Mayor Bob Tharp’s long-term commitment to improve the park system in Decatur and give families a place to enjoy time together.
More and more, families in Decatur are putting down their remotes, iPhones and laptops and flocking to one of the seven Decatur Parks for a fun-filled afternoon in the great outdoors. Times may have changed, but some of the traditional outdoor fun has not. If you have never been to one of Decatur’s great parks, take an afternoon and relax. You will be glad you did.