News-Info-Alerts

Re: Veterans Monument Exceeds Expectations

To: ALL

From: Andi Wolos & Bob Necci

(POW-MIA InterNetwork)

Date: September 08, 2002

"Veterans monument exceeds expectations

The veterans monument committee has received far more veterans' names than they projected when the project began in August 2001, said project chairman Bill Murry.

The committee planned to send the names to Anderson Monuments today (Wednesday) to begin the engraving process.

The committee is not taking any more veterans' names. (They received almost 850 names.) About 730 names were paid, meaning the veteran or the family paid $100 for the engraving. The committee provided, at no charge, engraving of names of 111 individuals who were prisoners of war or those who were killed or missing in action.

The monument will consist of six black granite stones (with engraved names) placed in a circle with flags in the middle. The memorial will be located at the northwest corner of the Livingston County courthouse.

The committee hopes to dedicate the memorial this Veterans Day.

The monument committee consists of volunteers from Vern R. Glick Post No. 25, The American Legion, and Roy L. Burkett Post 858, Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Funding for the monument consisted of a $25,000 grant from the state; $73,000 from individual $100 fees for name engravings; and a donation from a family wishing to remain anonymous of $10,000.

Project Chairman Bill Murry praised the committee members for their hard work.

"Because we did so well on our fund-raising, the state gave us another $5,000. If the committee had their own inscription on the monument, it would read, "These men did something right.'" "