About 25 people attended an Aug. 2 groundbreaking ceremony for a project to build a veterans memorial near the gazebo at the Arnold Recreation Center, 1695 Missouri State Road.
The city also celebrated the 10-year anniversary of the formation of the Veterans Commission during the groundbreaking.
“It was a very nice groundbreaking ceremony,” Veterans Commission chairman Larry Boyce said.
Arnold Veterans Commission members and the city have been working together on the veterans memorial project.
“The goal is to recognize all of the veteran groups,” Boyce said.
“To get the memorial kick-started is great for the veterans, the Veterans Commission and the city,” said Ward 4 Councilman Gary Plunk, one of the Arnold City Council’s liaisons to the commission.
The memorial will have a large star made out of paving bricks in the center of the circle with one of the star points made of colored bricks that give the appearance of a waving American flag.
Five benches will be placed around the edge of the circle, and the insignia of each military branch will be placed on one of the benches.
The city also will install a flagpole that previously was in the center of a police memorial outside City Hall. The flagpole was removed from the City Hall display when Arnold replaced it with three separate poles in order to fly the American, Missouri and POW/MIA flags as part of a $114,972 police memorial renovation project.
“It was a weight lifted off our shoulders,” Boyce said of having the groundbreaking ceremony. “I know we still have a long way to go, but we have collected quite a bit of money toward this. The commission, mayor, some of the council members and city employees have been working very hard on this.”
City officials have said the memorial will cost about $40,000, and Parks and Recreation Department Director Dave Crutchley said Monday that about $18,000 had been raised so far.
City Council members voted unanimously on April 20 to pay $20,205 to PG Memorials of Derby Line, Vt., for the benches.
Crutchley said the city is paying $10,100 to Paverart Enterprises of Lidenwold, N.J., for the custom paving bricks.
Crutchley said construction of the memorial is expected to begin at the start of September and probably will take about three weeks to complete.
He also said the city likely will install landscaping around the memorial in spring 2024.
“It is exciting to see it come to fruition,” said Crutchley, whose daughter, Kennady, designed the memorial. “I think it is so nice for our veterans to have something in Arnold to go to. I also think it is the perfect location for it.”
Boyce said the Veterans Commission plans to hold a trivia night in October at the rec center to raise funds for the memorial’s construction. He said a date has not been set yet for the trivia night, but information will be announced soon.
Anyone interested in donating items to raffle off during the event may contact the rec center at 636-282-2380 or email him at legman2214@yahoo.com.
Boyce also said anyone who would like to make a tax-deductible donation to help cover the veterans memorial construction costs may contact City Hall at 636-282-2100.
Anniversary
The Veterans Commission was formed Aug. 2, 2013. It organizes an annual Veterans Day parade, and the commission purchased American flags that are set up along roads to honor veterans during patriotic holidays.
Commission members include Larry Otis, Paul Buffa, Charlene Herrin, Patricia Seifert, Lloyd Seifert and Boyce.
“They are a great asset to the city, and they do a great job of looking for new ways to recognize and honor the veterans in our community,” City Administrator Bryan Richison said. “They put a lot of time and effort in, and I am happy they are here.”
Boyce said he has been a member of the commission for the past year after being recruited to join the group by his son-in-law and Ward 3 Councilman Rodney Mullins, another commission liaison.
Boyce, who served in the Army, said he is glad the city has a committee to help recognize veterans.
“During the Vietnam War era that I was a part of, veterans were not recognized at all,” he said. “I don’t think veterans get the recognition that they should. They protect this country by going to wars they don’t necessarily want to go to, and it is all for the protection and benefit of this country.
“After I got involved with the commission, I became enthused about recognizing members of all the military branches. The city does a good job of helping us do that.”
Plunk said he has been a liaison to the commission for most of its existence, and he, too, is glad the city has the group working to honor veterans.
“With any board or commission, you have to have good people on it,” he said. “They put in their time and energy,” he said. “People have come and gone, and they all have wanted to do something for veterans and the city.”