NORTH JACKSON Residents see plans for war memorial

No construction date has been set for the $150,000 project.
By SEAN BARRON
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
NORTH JACKSON -- Steve Gondol remembered two local friends he lost in 1970, both of whom served with him in the Army in Vietnam.
For years, Gondol wanted to do something to honor the men and keep their memories alive.
So a few years ago he, along with many township residents, came up with the idea to create a Jackson Township Veterans Memorial.
The project, to be built in the Jackson Township Cemetery near state Route 45 and Interstate 76, would be designed to honor and remember those who fought in six wars.
About 45 residents attended a meeting Wednesday at St. James Church to see the proposal and blueprints.
The township hired MS Consultants of Youngstown to draw up the concept and come up with the design, much of which included Gondol's and others' input. Gondol, Dick Lehotsky and Mike Markel serve as the memorial project's board of directors.
No construction date has been set. Gondol estimated that the memorial would cost about $150,000 to complete. He said that the township is allowed by law to spend a total of $5,000 on the project.
Gondol said he hoped the meeting would generate interest and encourage residents and others outside the township to help financially.
The design
The memorial would feature a concrete wraparound walkway leading to a single American flag in the middle of a circular central plaza area made out of about 1,500 bricks, each of which people can buy and have engraved for $100.
Along the path, visitors could stop at any of six obelisks, each with a marble bench in front. The six black monuments each will bear the names of one war -- Civil War, World Wars I and II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and Desert Storm.
Behind the flag will be a curved wall with ivy, on which will be five emblems -- one each for the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and Marines, Lehotsky said.
K. Anthony Hayek, MS Consultants director of architecture, told the audience his firm wanted to stress simplicity and have the memorial be "something special for everyone." The memorial also will be used for Fourth of July, Memorial Day and other special occasions, he added.
Rock of Ages Memorials, a Boardman company that specializes in selling tombstones, is supplying the granite for the benches and plaques, said Larry Conti, the company's district manager.
Gondol stressed that the memorial will be a community project. The project "will come together pretty quickly after we get the money, but we have to have the funds," he added.
For more information, call Lehotsky at (330) 538-3131.