Iwo Jima sculpture, created by OHPCC students, installed in time for Memorial Day
Students in Ohio Hi-Point Career Center’s Welding and Fabrication program had the chance to see the results of their handiwork up close this week while paying a special visit to a veterans’ service organization that also has given much back to the community in the months since the deadly tornado struck Indian Lake in March of 2024.
The several dozen pupils who are a part of OHPCC instructor Mark Barger’s classroom were treated to a pizza lunch, served by the AMVETS Post 39 in Lakeview, as a thank you for their dedicated efforts in creating the newly installed semi-abstract memorial sculpture honoring one of the most iconic images in American military history.
The sculpture was inspired by the historic flag raising on Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II. It is now permanently installed outdoors at the AMVETS, 110 W. Harrison St., in time for Memorial Day weekend activities.
The students spent this school year designing and constructing the 1/2-inch aluminum sculpture, considering the visual impact, location and structural durability. The sculpture honors the original image while showcasing student craftsmanship, as previously detailed in the Examiner.
“It looks amazing out there,” said senior Haylee Yelton while enjoying lunch with her peers. She also graduated from OHPCC Wednesday night.
“Seeing the final result and final product is so rewarding, and knowing that it will be here for many years to come.”
The Welding and Fabrication instructor said Haylee and fellow senior Tucker Thompson played large roles in the project, with Tucker performing all of the welding on the sculpture. Tucker, who is joining the Army National Guard upon his high school graduation, also created a 5-foot sign for the 664th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron Museum, located on the grounds of the career center.
Barger said Robert Walker, longtime OHPCC facilities and grounds director, initially helped to connect the OHPCC Welding and Fabrication program with the AMVETS Post 39 to kick off the memorial project. Walker also was instrumental in starting the 664th Museum.
The end-of-the-year field trip to the AMVETS and special treatment by its members was much appreciated by the students and their instructor, who enjoyed getting to know the local veterans at the post and partaking of lunch.
“This was the perfect ending to our school year,” Barger said. “We’ve really been looking forward to coming here. I think it’s important for the students to know the impact that they can have on their community and how good it feels to complete a project like this.”
Also as a thank you for the new sculpture, AMVETS Post 39 Commander Tim Pierce said the post donated $8,000 to the OHPCC program.
“We can’t thank them enough and we’re so grateful for the new sculpture, which is a beautiful tribute for our local veterans and the community. The students should be proud of their work,” Commander Pierce said.
In addition to hosting the pupils this week, the AMVETS Post 39 has been a hub of activity ever since the natural disaster devastated Indian Lake and Logan County last year, with its members still continuing to serve local residents who are rebuilding from the tornado, the post commander noted.
“It’s going to take years for our community to fully recover from the tornado,” said Commander Pierce, who continues to receive regular calls from individuals who are requesting assistance.
The night the tornado touched down, Pierce was at the AMVETS Post 39, and said nearly everyone there took shelter in a walk-in cooler. While the 110 W. Harrison St. facility sustained some more minor damage, their building was still intact and they fortunately could step up to help their numerous neighbors who needed assistance.
Facilities manager Saundra Thacker and many volunteers set to work prepping meals and organizing supply donations that were flooding into the AMVETS.
“With all of the donations here, people could stop by and pick up what they needed,” Thacker said. “We had no power at first, so we cooked food by grilling out and used candles and flashlights in the building.
“We were able to serve a free lunch to those who needed it, including delivering meals to first responders and relief workers.”
In addition to supply donations, monetary donations began pouring in from area businesses and from AMVETS posts all around Ohio and from several other states, including North Carolina and Tennessee, Commander Pierce said.
Donations totaling approximately $68,500 have enabled volunteers from the veterans service organization to assist tornado victims with replacing windows, garage doors, appliances and other projects, Thacker noted.
They also have worked in partnership with Lakeview Hardware with the repairs and have referred recovering property owners to the store for supplies.
Pierce and Thacker each expressed appreciation to the approximately 30 AMVETS members who have stepped up during the past year to form an essential crew of workers to help tornado victims. About 90 percent of the volunteers are veterans themselves, while many of the others are sons of veterans, the post commander noted.
“There are so many good people here who have helped out in many different ways,” Thacker said.
