Miami University plans new memorial as tribute to veterans

This artist’s rendering gives a glimpse of what Miami University’s Veterans Tribute will look like when it is dedicated on Veterans Day next year. Insets show what it will look like from the top and at the base. CONTRIBUTED

This artist’s rendering gives a glimpse of what Miami University’s Veterans Tribute will look like when it is dedicated on Veterans Day next year. Insets show what it will look like from the top and at the base. CONTRIBUTED

Miami University plans to install a new veterans memorial in Oxford by next year’s Veterans Day observance.

Evan C. Lichtenstein, senior director of development for the College of Arts and Sciences, said the idea of the Veterans Tribute has been in the works for a year-and-a-half, starting as a memorial, but turning into a tribute to include all of Miami’s veteran graduates to include the living as well as those who have died.

Projected at a cost of $650,000, Lichtenstein said about half of that has been raised and efforts continue to cover that cost.

The design includes a kiosk that will have a database of all Miami veterans who register with the university to be included.

“We ask veterans who want to take part in an elective database to opt in. We have about 5,000 alums who have served and we need them to register on-line,” Lichtenstein said.

He noted that approximately 200 of those Miamians were killed in action.

Veterans can go to the website MiamiAlum.org/VeteransTribute or call 513-529-5150 for information.

Veterans can register themselves or someone may register a deceased veteran, but the university must have consent for names to be included in the kiosk database.

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