Members of a local veterans memorial committee hope to continue raising funds for a symbolic tribute at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which will be represented by a Never Forget Garden veterans memorial once they reach their objective.
The NFG Veterans Memorial Committee invites all Brazos County residents to join members on the morning of Saturday, October 15 at the Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial for a 21-stage walk-run at 7 a.m. morning, where participants can walk around the memorial and reflect.
The 21-step tribute symbolizes the 21 sentinel steps that keepers of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier walk each day, according to Sherry Frisk, treasurer of the NFG Veterans Memorial Committee.
“It’s a special place to walk if you have someone in your life who served in any kind of war,” she said. “I have a husband who was in Vietnam. We were married for three months and then he was gone for a year. It was not a good war. The American people were just awful with the returning veteran soldiers. Finally they try to pay that back. It was quite an injustice for all these soldiers. So when people approach my husband and say “Thank you for your service”, he smiles from ear to ear.
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The committee plans to raise $200,000 for the memorial, which will be built at College Station Veterans Park and Sports Complex in the 12-acre area of the Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial. As of Wednesday, a total of $90,000 has been raised.
The 600 square foot memorial will reside along the sidewalk toward the Louis L. Adam Memorial Plaza and Wall of Honor. It will include a standing granite monument symbolizing the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier with a crown, a Never Forget Garden plaque from the Honor Guard Society of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a garden with local native and adapted plants, a granite star in the place in front of the monument, two entrance pedestals explaining the memorial, several custom brick pavers acknowledging donors, and a park bench on the Lynn Stuart Trail.
Participants in the 21 stages will receive a baseball cap that says “Never Forget Garden” in red, blue or maroon, Frisk said. Those who come with a group of 21 or more will have an engraved brick pavement set up in the plaza of the future memorial, she said.
Frisk also said she hopes attendees will reflect on those who have served or are currently serving in the military.
“I hope they will gain more knowledge and appreciation of the sacrifices our military have made for our freedom. I have been married to this man for 56 years, and I still cannot thank him enough to this day for this that he went through for me and for everyone else,” she said in tears. “It’s the idea that they’re in a nice alley over there and they can see those statuses that are wonderfully made. We want people to know wars and appreciate all sacrifices; for people to understand how many unknown soldiers we have lost over the years.
Pre-registration is open until October 12 and costs $21 per person. Registration on the day of the event will cost $30. Guests must arrive no later than 8 a.m.
To register, go to texassar.org/Independence/NFG/.
The Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial is located at 3101 Harvey Road in College Station. Guests should look for balloons at the entrance to find the registration table.
For more information or clarification, send an e-mail to NFG.bvvm@gmail.com.
