Plan to honor local veterans

Organizers hope to complete the project by Veterans Day 2008.

By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.

VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER

WARREN — Monument Park downtown will soon see major changes.

Members of the Trumbull 100 organization the Warren Western Reserve Veterans Memorial Association have kicked off a fundraiser, with hopes of making $300,000 in changes to the park.

Planned additions include a bronze statue and commemorative wall filled with the names of local veterans.

Shelley Taylor, president of Trumbull 100 business and civic group, said the project started with the idea by World War II veteran Bill Muter, a native of Warren, to put a single statue for veterans in the park. Muter died during the initial fund-raising stage for the statue, but the idea has since grown into a tribute to all veterans.

“Trumbull 100 thought it was a good project, so we decided we would adopt it,” Taylor said. “Sixty-million citizens fought in World War II and 3,000 of those veterans are dying everyday. We needed a way to honor those veterans in our park. There are also 1.4 million active servicemen, and they are just as important as anyone who has ever served.”

The park currently consists of Civil War, World War II, Vietnam War and Korean War monuments.

The addition to the park will be called the Trumbull County Veterans’ Memorial. Baker, Bednar & Associates Inc. of Howland is in charge of designing the addition.

Randall P. Baker, of Baker, Bednar & Associates, said the goal in designing the addition is to maintain the park characteristics but incorporate the new area so that the names of those being honored are prominently displayed.

What’s planned

Plans unveiled by the company Tuesday consist of a life-size statue of a Marine atop a 6-foot bronze base as the centerpiece of the memorial. The statue, commissioned especially for the county, is the work of New York Sculptor Robert Eccleston.

Baker said the statue will be flanked by the Civil War and World War II monuments. The Vietnam and Korean War monuments will also be on either side of the new statue.

A brick wall will be constructed on the side of the park adjacent to High Street and Mahoning Avenue. The wall will be made up of bricks with names of local veterans inscribed on each block.

Taylor said supporters can buy a brick for the wall and place a veteran’s name on it for $50 or $100, depending on the size of the brick. Bricks used to make up the ground around the statue will also be for sale, should supporters wish to place a nonveteran name on those stones.

City’s support

Mayor Michael O’Brien pledged the city’s support in maintaining the monument once it is completed. He called the memorial and the recent unveiling an uplifting event.

“In the city of Warren, we will be unveiling a monument to remind us of the sacrifices of our men and women and a place for our children to learn outside of the classroom setting,” he said.

Taylor said organizers are hoping to get started on the construction phase of the project as soon as possible.

“We don’t have a lot of time left with these veterans, so we must make sure they have time to enjoy this celebration of their service,” she said.

Organizers hope to raise funds fast enough to break ground next Memorial Day 2008 and have the project completed and ready for dedication Veterans Day 2008.

jgoodwin@vindy.com