By Staff
will be home
for memorial
Battlefield cross
is preferred by
city and veterans
By CLAUD HODGES
Newsroom Manager
Beaufort County veterans’ groups and the City of Washington decided to erect a fallen-soldier monument at Veterans Park in Washington.
On Monday, the groups met with city officials at East Haven Apartments and Veterans Park, which are near each other on East Third Street.
Jennette and city officials met with veterans’ groups from the county about a month ago in an effort to determine whether there is interest in the project.
The deaths of servicemen Kevin Jones, Jonathan Kirk and Joel Taylor, all of Beaufort County, brought about the city’s idea for the monument, Jennette said.
On June 30, the Washington City Council allocated $4,400 to purchase a bronze monument depicting a battlefield cross for placement in Veterans Park.
When a soldier is lost on the battlefield, sometimes the soldier’s comrades build a battlefield cross on or near the battlefield in memory of the fallen soldier. The battle cross is an arrangement of the fallen soldier’s boots, rifle, helmet and identification tags.
At Monday’s meeting, the veterans’ groups and city officials decided by consensus to unveiled the memorial at the Nov. 11 Veterans Day observance at the park.
Veterans’ groups represented at the meeting included the Disabled American Veterans, the Disabled American Veterans Auxiliary, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion Posts 15, 249, 263 and 313 and the American Legion Auxiliary. In addition to Jennette, city officials at the meeting included City Councilman Richard Brooks, City Manager James C. Smith and Parks and Recreation Department Director Phil Mobley.
By consensus, the groups and city officials decided to have a plaque attached to the monument with the inscription “ALL GAVE SOME — SOME GAVE ALL” at the top and “Dedicated to the memory of all who proudly served and protected their country” at the bottom.
The groups voted to place the monument to the right of the flagpole flying the American flag (if the observer is facing the front of the eagle statue at the park).
Before the meeting, Jennette said the city had received $900 in gifts and $250 in pledges from veterans’ organizations and $200 in gifts and $500 in pledges from individuals for the monument. Later, she said three more monetary gifts had been received from veterans’ organizations and individuals during the meeting.
The cost of the monument’s base is estimated at $500. The cost of the plaque is estimated at $425 and the estimated cost for landscaping is $300. There is a possibility of having a $600 stone bench placed near the monument, Jennette said.