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Memorial for Central Illinois veterans
progresses
Nine brown granite
slabs inscribed with the names of more than 1,100 Clinton-area veterans
were lowered carefully into place Monday morning by a crane as the
Veterans Point Memorial at Weldon Springs State Recreation Area continued
to take  shape.
Work on the memorial
began about two years ago after Dave Herzog, site superintendent, came up
with the idea to honor area men and women who have served their country.
"Dave deserves a
lot of credit," said Army veteran Virgil Brady, 69, of Clinton as he
watched the slabs being guided into place by workers for Pontiac Granite
Co. "He's begged and borrowed to get this done."
Brady said not only his
name but those of his father, Cecil Brady, and his son, James A. Brady,
are inscribed on the granite.
Herzog said he has been
surprised at the response to fund-raising efforts that have generated more
than $100,000 to make a reality of the memorial on a point overlooking the
park's lake. He said people wishing to honor a veteran bought spaces on
the slabs ranging from 4 inches by 8 inches to 12 inches by 16 inches,
with the largest spaces selling for $1,000 each.
Some of the spaces were
purchased by veterans' families and others by friends, Herzog said.
Donations came from 18 states, he said.
"This gives people
the opportunity to come and see and be respectful of the people who gave
us a country to live in," said Norman Huff, 66, of Clinton, an Army
veteran and retired electrician who has donated his services to help build
the memorial. His name is also there.
"I don't think
young people really understand what it means to have served," Huff
said. "I have great respect for people who were in World War II. It
wasn't modern warfare the way they fight today."
"There is a lot of
fine detail on these," said Mark Ifft, a Pontiac Granite sales
representative overseeing placement of the slabs. "Every spelling had
to be right and double- and triple-checked. It took a lot of measuring to
get it right."
Herzog did a lot of the
legwork in soliciting the names so people knew exactly what was and wasn't
allowed, Ifft said.
The names are listed in
alphabetical order to help locate them.
Fred Thompson, 85, of
Clinton stood by Monday taking pictures as the slabs were lowered. He
noted with pride that not only was he in the Army during World War II but
so was his sister, Freda Lee. He said his brothers -- Forrest, Sylvo and
Phares -- all served in the Army during World War I. All five siblings'
names are engraved on the slabs.
"Dave invited
Ernest Thorp and myself to come out and comment on this idea when he was
getting started," Thompson said. "He's been working on this for
a long time."
Herzog said the
finishing touches still must be applied. He said two black granite slabs
containing the names of donors to the memorial will be put in place along
with a granite pedestal on which a bronze sculpture of servicemen will
rest.
Three granite benches
will be placed, and the concrete walkways will be covered with paving
stones, although a color scheme has yet to be chosen, Herzog said. The
memorial likely will not be completed until spring.
"There is nothing
too good for those it is for," Herzog said. "I always wanted to
do something to honor them, and I finally found a place to do it." |
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