Hoping to build a veterans memorial downtown, several veterans are working to raise money for the project. Jerry Burton, Chris Snow, Crystal Russell and members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8109 have designed a memorial and received permission from the Pea Ridge School District to build on school property downtown.
The memorial is planned to be built on the northeast corner of the four-way stop downtown across from the Pea Ridge Museum.
Snow, 40, is a veteran of the U.S. Navy; he served four years active and four years in the Army Reserve. Snow served one tour in the Persian Gulf and one tour in Asia.
Burton, 69, is a veteran of the U.S. Navy; he served four years active 18 months with the Marine Corps in Vietnam.
"We're going to try hard to get a cannon to be there, on this stone back here we want to put the regiments that fought in the Battle of Pea Ridge with their identities on that stone in the back," Burton said, explaining that the design calls for eight monuments -- four on each side. The monuments are 8 inches thick, 30 inches wide and 60 inches tall polished granite. "We'll be able to put 30 names on each monument facing the sidewalk."
"It's built for expansion," Snow said, adding that the circle is about 50 feet wide.
"We want to keep it affordable to all veterans," Snow said.
"We're raising money to build the circle, then we'll go after the monuments," Burton said. The benches in the design are about $100 each. The design calls for three flags -- American, Arkansas and a POW/MIA flag. Junipers will also be planted around the circle.
The men are trying to raise money to start construction and have received quotes from several monument companies and selected Emerson Monument of Bentonville; each monument is about $12,000.
"Anyone may purchase a memorial for a veteran," Burton said.
"For us, we're biased. We're veterans," Burton said. "We want to honor all veterans who served in uniform."
"It's a visual concept... there's not one here. It's the simplest thing we can do, to honor them, to give them a name," Snow said. "It means a lot to the children and grandchildren to come along and see their fathers', their grandfathers', their great-grandfathers' names. I really think it's going to be there. It's a sense of pride."
"There are a lot of veterans who didn't serve overseas," Snow said, even though it's the VFW that is working on this, all veterans from all branches of service may be recognized.
"I think today, with the social media, people are sharing their stories, you're seeing pictures and real time video of what's going on over there," Snow said. "I've always raised my kids to shake the hand of a veterans and tell them they're appreciated."
Burton said that just that day, while wearing his Vietnam cap, someone whom he didn't know stopped and thanked him for his service.
A donation of $61.91 was received in January from students in Mrs. Anya Bruhin's Pea Ridge Middle School art class.
Tax-deductible donations may be mailed to VFW Post 8109, P.O. Box 764, Pea Ridge AR 72751, or given to a member of the local VFW. Checks are to be made out to VFW Post 8109 and noted that the donation is for the memorial.
Community on 02/25/2015