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Dedications set for veterans memorial

Weatherford Democrat - 3/28/2018

March 27--Nearly seven years after fundraising efforts began, the veterans memorial in Weatherford'sSoldier Spring Park is almost complete and ready for a dedication ceremony.

"About seven years ago, the city approached the American Legion and the VFW, and offered property to those organizations if we would and could collect money to build this park. It is almost complete," John Hale, the county's veteran services officer, told the Parker County Commissioners Court during Monday's meeting.

A dedication ceremony is planned for June 2, said Ron Chandler, public relations director for American Legion Post 163.

"It's going to be a fairly large dedication. We have a lot of people involved already, and our state commander will be there. We hope everyone can be there," he said.

The only part of the park managed by the American Legion and VFW still requiring funding is a five-sided obelisk that honors each branch of the military.

"It honors and commemorates our five services: the Army, the Marine Corps, the Air Force, the Navy and the Coast Guard," Chandler said. "It remains to be funded. We've done well, but there's $12,000 left."

Checks made out to P.C. Veterans Memorial Park Fund can be sent to P.O. Box 2707, Weatherford, TX, 76086, to donate to the cost of the obelisk.

Parker County Gold Star Families, a nonprofit dedicated to honoring fallen soldiers, is still raising funds for its own monument in the park, said Kaye Jordan, Gold Star mother and chapter president.

"You know, we told the paper that we were done raising funds. But as you start building, extra costs start popping up," she said." And when I was on my bike trip across America for Gold Star Families, I saw this monument and thought, 'Wow. This really needs to be in our park.' It's something our hearts desired, and we're still fundraising for that particular item."

Parker County Gold Star Families will have a dedication ceremony and ribbon cutting for its part of the memorial -- which includes a prayer garden and the monument -- on May 25, Jordan said.

The monument was designed by Medal of Honor recipient Hershel Woody Williams, who will serve as the ceremony's keynote speaker.

Williams, who fought in the Battle of Iwo Jima, is the only living Medal of Honor recipient from the Pacific theater of World War II.

To learn more about donating, contact Jordan at kayejordan11@yahoo.com or 817-988-2202.

During the Monday commissioners court meeting, Chandler recapped the seven-year journey to completing the memorial.

"When we first started, it was indicated that there was no complete veterans memorial in Parker County. Given the fact there was an average of 10,000 to 12,000 veterans in Parker County ... one of our key people and mainstays of the American Legion, the late Chuck Katlic, came to me one day and asked me to help him figure out a way to create a veterans memorial park.

"We didn't know how to do it. But when we sat down and got with the VFW, we worked out a plan."

The original site was a donated piece of property off Eureka Street, but the Legion and VFW quickly realized it was not a good location.

"That piece of property they gave us on Eureka just wasn't going to work. It was too small, and traffic patterns were changing drastically," Chandler said. "So we went to Soldier Spring. Parker County Gold Star Families got involved to help us raise money, and that was about four years ago. For a total of almost seven years, we have been working on this park."

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(c)2018 Weatherford Democrat (Weatherford, Texas)

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