Veterans Day target date for Leesburg memorial

Submitted by TRACY EVANS - LEESBURG - Members of the Leesburg Area Veterans Memorial committee have set a target date of November 11, 2010 (Veterans Day) to unveil a beautiful memorial in downtown Leesburg to honor the area's many veterans. They need your help! Pictured above on the future site are Kenneth "Red" Arthur, John Fetters, Bob Cunningham, and Jack Willis; all are 60 year members of American Legion Post 568. The future memorial site is the lot where Post 568 stood before burning down and is on the corner of Main Street and North Fairfield Street. Committee members began meeting in July 2008, and by January 2009 had adopted by-laws and selected a design to be constructed by Dodds Monument located in Xenia, Ohio. The center piece will be six, 6 foot tall black granite pillars representing the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marines. A 3 foot black granite ball will be in the center and a 2 foot tall eagle with a 4 foot wing span will be atop the center piece. Behind the pillars will be a 4 foot tall black granite wall, 1/2 inch thick, 40 feet long, on which the names of all veterans who served their country will be engraved. Those names will include men and women who served from 1802 (when Leesburg was founded) to the present and who lived in Leesburg, Fairfield Township, Penn Township or attended school at Highland, Samantha, Leesburg or Fairfield. Names on the wall will be at no cost to the veterans. Committee members Roger Grimsley and Bob Cunningham are diligently researching for veterans names and will need your help. The committee needs names, branch of service, rank, and years served for anyone who has lived in Leesburg, Fairfield Township, Penn Township or attended school at Highland, Samantha, Leesburg or Fairfield Schools Sale items and prices are as follows: 4" x 8:" brick paver - 3 lines, 20 characters each line $ 110. 8" x 8" brick paver - 5 lines, 20 characters each line $ 225. 12" x 12" black granite plaque - 10 lines, 25 characters each line $ 500. 16"x16" black granite plaque-14 lines, 35 characters each line $ 750. 4' black granite bench with engraving $ 3,500. 25' flag poles-2 available-Army and Coast Guard available $1,750. (4 sold - Navy, Air Force, Marines, Merchant Marines) 1" x 2" Miniature brick paver for keepsake or souvenir $8. (One miniature brick paver is free with purchase of a 4" x 4" or 8" x 8" brick paver Security Light Poles (4 for sale) $2,200. Committee members are Marty Bailey, Jim Cook (co-chair) 937-302-0549, Bob Cunningham, Danny Daulton, Roger Grimsley, Edith Grimsley, Charles Newland (co-chair), Carol Ridgeway, Carolyn Fitzgerald, and Bernease Priest. Any committee member can be contacted for order forms or information. [[In-content Ad]]