The Veterans Memorial Plaza, which also include the sculpture “StarLine” by Miami University Professor Susan Ewing and brick walls holding plaques to represented the branches of the military, was dedicated in 2005.
The VFW Post and American Legion Post 681 subsequently embarked on a program to allow people to purchase bricks in honor of veterans, POWs and MIAs, living or dead.
The first batch of 71 bricks includes one for World War I veteran Dan Hines, father-in-law to Russell Slaughter, who is second vice commander for both groups.
“We started out with a goal of 500, but this is what we got,” Slaughter said. “We’ll start a second one now.”
VFW Post Commander Jim Eriksen said, “We are not through yet. This is a great start. Things sometimes start small.”
Eriksen noted that Memorial Day is getting close and encouraged those at the ceremony to spread the word, especially to people of younger generations.
“Remind them of the sacrifices these men and women have made that gave them the opportunity to live their lives the way they’re living them now,” Eriksen said.
“Every year will make this a bigger and bigger event as years go by,” he said.
C. Robert Perry, a commissioner of the Butler County Veterans Commission, said that he had been thinking and reading a lot about the Battle of Gettysburg recently, and noted that this plaza is also a special place.
“Men and women have died to give us the freedoms we have,” he said. “From now on, this (plaza) will be hallowed ground.”
Perry noted that there are 27,000 military veterans in Butler County, yet only 5,500 have been in contact with the Veterans Service Commission.
The cost is $25 per brick and can be mailed to 681-BRICKS-7696, c/o Fifth Third Bank, 7700 Cox Road, West Chester OH 45049. An order form is also available on the Post’s web site, www.vfwpost7696.homestead.com.
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