This year’s Veterans Day observance at Patriot Park in Fayetteville will be something special. The Nov. 9 ceremony will include the unveiling of the Fayette County Veterans Memorial which will feature monument walls listing the names of soldiers who fought in numerous wars and who were born, raised and died as residents of Fayette County.
The memorial will feature a polished, black granite obelisk noting the five branches of the service and will be flanked on each side with a monument wall, also of polished black granite. The obelisk will rise approximately 10 feet off the ground while the two walls will be 4 feet by 7 feet and positioned on a 1-foot base.
“What makes this memorial different is that each of these soldiers were born and raised and died as a resident of Fayette County,” said Fayetteville Councilman Larry Dell.
One side of one of the walls will commemorate the 379 Confederate soldiers who died during the War Between the States while the other side will list the names of Fayette residents died in World War I and World War II, Dell said.
On the second wall, one side will list the names of Fayette residents who died in Korea and Vietnam while the other side will list those who died in Afghanistan and Iraq.
“So many people haven’t recognized our veterans, especially those who served in Vietnam,” Dell said.
As for the wall’s design, Dell said “It’s polished so that, along with seeing the names, you can see yourself,” noting that the memorial design represents the immeasurable loss of life and its reflection in our lives.
The goal for the memorial, said Dell, is to create a place where people will come to honor those who died in past wars, to reflect on the humanity of the after-effects of those wars and to admire the soldiers who had the courage to risk their lives to save others.
“This is something we need to do because we need to honor our vets, especially those who paid the ultimate price,” Dell said. “A vet is someone who, at some point in time, raised a hand and took an oath to protect the United States. That price of protecting us is up to and including giving his life. One reason I’m passionate about this project is because two of the names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. were men who took my place.”
The Fayette County Veterans Memorial is located on the grounds of Patriot Park at Redwine Road and Old Senoia Road. The ceremony will be held on Nov. 9 at 11 a.m. Relatives or other family members of those listed on the wall are encouraged to attend.
The Veterans Memorial at Patriot Park had its genesis nearly six years ago as a project of Leadership Fayette. The memorial is a city project, though there are no funds allocated for it. The total project cost, including in-kind donations, is approximately $100,000.
Platinum sponsors contributing $5,000 in cash or in-kind donations for the Fayette County Veterans Memorial included Fayetteville Rotary Club, Integrated Science and Engineering, Allan Vigil Ford (Fayetteville and Morrow), Attina’s Music, Fairburn Ready-Mix, Brent Scarbrough and Company, Presley Electric and Ed Gullett. Gold sponsors included Comcast, Eric Maxwell, sons of Confederate Veterans McLaws Camp, Fayette County Civitan Club and Larry Bailey Concrete Supply.
Dell said additional tax-deductible donations for the non-profit, whether cash or in-kind, are still needed for portions of the project that need to be completed and for ongoing maintenance. For more information contact Larry Dell at 404-379-8825 or at larrydell@bellsouth.net.
