A group of veterans and their spouses, along with a very generous Logan County community, made quick work of a heartfelt promise made last fall to build a Veteran Monument to honor those who served in each of the 13 military conflicts following the Vietnam War.
Saturday, Sept. 27, the three-piece black granite monument will be unveiled during a dedication ceremony at 11 a.m., where the community is invited to attend at Mary Rutan Park. The new monument is located next to the current Vietnam Memorial along Allison Road.
Patriotic music is planned, and a retired sergeant major from Elida will be speaking to the crowd Saturday.
The new monument created by Delphos Granite, featuring granite from India, was carefully installed utilizing heavy equipment earlier this week following other prep work at the site this summer. Project organizers David Lamb, Marion Enoch and Fred
Brackney were excited to watch the process as the granite was set up Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 23.
“The monument is going to be covered up, until we officially unveil it on Saturday,” said Enoch, a U.S. Navy Vietnam veteran. “We can’t wait to show the community what the finished product looks like.
“We’re very grateful to the many businesses, clubs and individuals who stepped up to make this possible.”
Alongside Enoch, Lamb is a U.S. Army veteran and Brackney is a U.S. Air Force veteran. Fellow monument supporter Tim Shaw is a veteran of the U.S. Marines, the trio noted.
Lamb said the idea for the monument was born during their volunteer involvement with the Logan County Vets to D.C. trips.
They appreciated the beautiful memorials in the nation’s capital for veterans of World War II, Korea and Vietnam, but they also thought there should be more done for military service members from more recent conflicts, including the Gulf War and Operation Enduring Freedom.
“We thought, why do people have to wait until they’re very old to have a military memorial recognizing their service?” Brackney said.
So they embarked on this project, and first approached the Bellefontaine Joint Recreation District Board of Trustees at their October 2024 meeting, gaining approval from the board. Then they started fundraising, quickly gaining financial support from the community, recognizing donors on their Facebook page “The Veteran Monument Project.”
Group members said the monument will be dedicated to “the city of Bellefontaine in celebration of all veterans serving, those who have served after the Vietnam War and for those who will be serving our military in the future.”
Pavers surrounding the site name each of the 13 conflicts, along with a paver honoring Sept. 11 and one recognizing 22 A Day (Military Suicide Awareness). A bench has been installed at the center to allow for a moment to pause and reflect on the courageous sacrifices.
