A new veterans memorial is coming to Lois Forte Park in Newberry.
Construction for the project will begin in January, according to Debbie Boyd, a former state representative and the project coordinator for the Newberry Veterans Memorial.
City Commissioner Mark Clark, 57, explained that the Newberry Veterans Memorial will be “an absolutely class act memorial” and “a place of honor,” where veterans can reflect on their service and “what they gave to this country.”
Clark served in Iraq in the United States Marine Corps and retired as a master sergeant.
“People don’t realize we lost a lot of young men in these tri-county areas right there in that war, so this is a place hopefully their families can come by one day and honor theirs,” Clark said.
Boyd shared Clark’s perspective and stated that the new memorial “will be a haven for veterans and their families, and for our community to meditate, reflect and remember."
Boyd, 66, also explained that the memorial will be “open to the local and regional schools for educational field trips, and with abundant learning opportunities.” She said it will teach students “about the six branches of the United States military, and the significance of our nation’s military history.”
Boyd said the memorial will have a monument for each branch of the military, as well as monuments providing information about the various military conflicts in American history, starting with the American Revolution.
Local artist Paula Willis, 54, created a rendering of Clark’s vision for the memorial.
Willis, who has a degree in interior design from Florida State University, said she was “very honored” that she was asked to create the visual representation of this project.
“Many people cannot visualize things, and so it’s important to have a visual rendering in order to generate revenue for the project,” she said. “People get excited when they see something like that.”
U.S. Air Force veteran Vickie Van Buren, 72, expressed appreciation for the committee’s plans to build the memorial.
“It gives our city a place where we can hold different veteran memorial services,” Van Buren said.
Van Buren served in active duty and the Air Force Reserve for 20 years and is the adjutant for the American Legion Post 149 in Newberry.
“I think it shows that Newberry is a very patriotic city that honors their veterans, and think that veterans are a very important part of the community,” Van Buren said.
Part of the memorial’s funding is from the City of Newberry itself, providing $350,000 from its Wild Spaces Public Places surtax revenue for the project. According to Boyd, the project costs about $588,094 in total with an estimated $84,000 yet to be raised.
Clark said the people and businesses in Newberry have been “absolutely honorable in giving to this project,” so it’s “almost fully-funded.”
Boyd says they’re currently encouraging people to buy bricks, marked with a veteran’s name, that will be built into the memorial.
The bricks are for all veterans, whether they be “alive or deceased” or if they “served in war or in peace,” Boyd said.
The deadline to buy bricks that will be included in the initial construction is Nov. 11 — Veterans Day.
According to Boyd, construction should be complete by the end of March 2025, and the park will be dedicated around the following Memorial Day weekend.