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Park glows with new lights

As shown here, the new globe lights illuminate the park, the commemorative bricks, the flagpoles and the monuments at the Veterans Memorial in Martinsville. Photo by Elmer Reynolds

 

 

 

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Lights bring new glow to Veterans Memorial Park

By Amy Hillenburg
ahillenb@reportert.com
 

Electrical contractor Gerald Gray adjusts one of the four globe lights at the Veterans Memorial in Martinsville. The lights are sensitive to fading light and start to glow shortly after dusk. Four Morgan County veterans' families donated money for the lights so people could visit the memorial in the evening. Photo by Elmer Reynolds.  

MARTINSVILLE
The Morgan County Veterans Memorial Park, considered by many to be one of the best small-town memorials in the country, just got a little better this past week. Gerald Gray and members of the Veterans Memorial Committee finished the installation of four 14-foot ornate light poles with colonial-style lamps.

Elmer Reynolds, Veterans Memorial Project coordinator, said, "The lighting system now illuminates the park for the nighttime enjoyment of all who come to pay honor to our veterans. The new lighting system makes our park a 24-hour-a-day, around-the-clock place of honor. Now people can come in the evening and view the bricks, study the scenes on the granite memorials and read the honor roll of servicemen who paid the supreme sacrifice for our country."

The lights have a sensor, which makes them automatically come on when darkness sets in.

Reynolds could hardly contain his enthusiasm while waiting for the final touch to the park, "which honors all of our Morgan County veterans," he said.

He added: "How can we ever express adequately our appreciation to Gerry Gray for the dedication and hard work he donated to install our lighting system? When the lights came on for the first time as darkness settled on the park, the glow that illuminated the commemorative bricks and our impressive monuments just filled our hearts with pride. They gave a new dimension to experiencing the tribute to our veterans."

Reynolds reminded citizens who could now visit the Veterans Memorial Park at night that the widows and families of the late Albert "Dutch" Allen, Luther Curtis, Bill Poe and Richard Teeters generously donated the money to purchase the lights.

A bronze plaque honoring these late veterans and expressing appreciation to those families has been ordered. The bronze is being designed and produced by the Piqua Granite and Monument Company — the same firm that built and installed the granite monuments. The bronze plaque will be installed on a jet-black granite beveled stone and placed near the base of one of the light poles. Reynolds said veterans might plan a dedication service for the lights sometime before Veterans Day, which falls on Nov. 11 this year.

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Widows to help fund lights for monument in tribute to memory of veteran husbands


By Amy Hillenburg
ahillenb@reportert.com

Sunday June 27, 2004

Four widows of Martinsville World War II veterans will donate funds for lights at the Morgan County Veterans' Memorial, seen here in the background. Many visitors come to see the monuments in the evening. The women, from left, are Glendyn Curtis, Nancy Teeters, Barbara Poe, Allene Allen and her daughter Pam Lanham. The four widows are holding pictures of their husbands. Photo by Amy Hillenburg.

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Freedom Is Not Free
By Melody Schubert
Tuesday June 1, 2004

The sacrifice of all Veterans and those serving our country now, reminds us that freedom is not free.

One Memorial which makes this point clear is located 30 miles south of Indianapolis in Martinsville, Indiana. Martinsville is home to the Fall Foliage Festival famous for hometown fun and a parade that travels along the beautiful tree-lined streets past some of the area's most beautiful historic homes. The growing community was once known for its Mineral Water & Spas that attracted visitors from around the world to this humble town. Today visitors also come to visit two extraordinary pieces of black granite artwork that rest across the street from the town square downtown at the Morgan County Veterans Memorial Park.

The first Memorial honors 149 of Morgan Counties Hometown Heroes who were killed in the line of duty during World War I & II, Korean & Vietnam Conflicts, and the War on Terrorism. The second Memorial dedicated on Sunday November 2nd 2003 honors Veterans the world over from these tragic events in American History. Wayne Dillman of the Veterans Committee said during preparations for the dedication, "This is a tribute to men and women fighting for our freedom." The Veterans Committee worked behind the scenes to develop the program to raise funds for the Morgan County Veterans Memorial. The kick off of their fundraiser began in early November of 2001 at Martinsville High School. In time the Veteran Committee gathered with the artist of the project and went over many photographs before settling on the impressive images to be used in the memorial.

These beautiful images capture the emotional moments in time shared by actual men who participated in the wars. Those who knew these men would recognize them from the detail etchings the artist portrayed. Among the historical images visitors will find on the beautiful black granite panels are etchings of:

-- World War I, that lasted from 1914 to 1918.
-- World War II fought from 1939 to 1945.
-- Normandy, June 6, 1944, the day the Allied forces invaded France during World War II.
-- Korean Conflict, which lasted from 1950 to 1953, and images of the Flying Tigers and the Famous Flying Hump that
   delivered supplies into China.
-- Vietnam Conflict fought from 1954 to 1975.
-- Missile Ships, the B2 Bomber, Stealth Bomber, and Black Hawk Helicopter also come to life upon the black granite
    surface.
-- The attack on World Trade Center Towers is also portrayed in vivid detail.

These images are already etched in our memories. Now they serve to
preserve the memory of those who paid the ultimate price for our freedom. The dedication of Morgan County Veterans Memorial began with a Hog Roast. A Barbershop Quartet entertained the crowd before the Rolling Thunder Veterans and the Blue Knights, local law enforcement, rode their motorcycles passed the Memorial Park to honor Veterans. Within the museum next door the Memorial Park guests gathered to view numerous pictures and artifacts related to the wars our nation has fought in, including Operation Freedom. Among these artifacts are newspaper clippings, models of planes and ships, a selection on books on wars related to the memorials and plaques honoring Hometown Heroes.

To be an American is to understand that Freedom Is Not Free. Our soldiers are still fighting here at home and abroad to preserve our way of life, and will continue to do so, if needed, in the future. A poem written upon one of the panels of Morgan County Veterans Memorial best describes this:
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© Copyright 2003 by Magic City Morning Star

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All gave some - some gave all

By Elmer Reynolds
Sunday, April 11, 2004

With each passing day, veterans of World War II and Korea are slipping out of our midst. During any typical week in Morgan County, two, three or more of our veterans pass away from this earthly stage.

Barely a month ago, the deaths of Charles Sink and Billy Moore diminished the ranks. Last week alone, the passing of Byron Wilson and Daniel Fleener not only saddened many hearts, it left an emptiness in our families and community that can never be replaced. So it is — with the death of our beloved veterans, our town and, indeed, our country, lose a part of what has made America great.

These were very special people. Tom Brokaw called them "The Greatest Generation," and this columnist has labeled them "Hometown Heroes." Admittedly, I have reason to be partial, for Byron Wilson was my uncle by marriage. When he married my father's youngest sister Margaret Reynolds in 1941, it was the beginning of a beautiful love affair that would enrich the lives of Aunt Peg and their families for the next 63 years.

As husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, mail carrier and friend to countless people, Byron was truly one of a kind. To all who knew him in his life of 84 years, Byron represented not only the best of his generation, he was one of the most genuine and caring persons God ever placed on this earth. In a life filled with many blessings, in which his family meant most of all, Byron took special pride in his World War II years.

During that time, he spent many hours flying around the South Pacific with a C-47 Troop Carrier Group. I am proud to report that along with the late Dean Kidwell, among the proudest boosters of our Morgan County Veterans Memorial was my late Uncle Byron Wilson. Like so many hundreds and hundreds of veterans' families, Byron and Peg Wilson (as pictured in today's edition) took special pride in viewing his commemorative brick in the Morgan County Veterans Memorial Park. Oh, what precious memories.

So with Memorial Day less than two months away, it seems timely to remind readers that new orders for additional commemorative bricks for any veterans can still be given in the next couple of weeks to be put down in late May.

Order forms are available any Saturday morning at the Veterans Museum in Martinsville. For information, readers may call me at (765) 342-4484. They may also contact Wayne or Margaret Dillman at (765) 342-9698. What a great Memorial Day tribute this would be, because every day should be a day to honor veterans.

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A Tribute to a Generation

By Elmer Reynolds
Sunday, April 11, 2004

MORGAN COUNTY

They were born in the era of World War I through the 1920s. They heard the sounds and saw the sights of the Roaring '20s. Their childhood and early teen years were toughened and molded by the hard times of the Great Depression. But their lives were forever shaped and forged like steel by the agonizing and horrible days of World War II.

In the seven-year war — which the United States entered after the Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor — millions of Americans endured hardships, broken hearts and the loss of loved ones. These experiences were mixed with trials and tribulations, but the victorious United States emerged as one of the world's few remaining superpowers.

Almost 60 years have passed since the end of World War II. That generation and its Baby Boomer offspring have built an economy of material prosperity that far exceeds anything our pioneer founders could have ever imagined for their "American Dream."

The U.S. population numbered 132 million people in 1941. After the Japanese sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States quickly expanded its armed forces. By the end of 1945, more than 16 million young men and women (one out of every eight Americans) were wearing Uncle Sam's military uniform in active duty.

A generation of greatness

When NBC's Tom Brokaw wrote his book The Greatest Generation in 1998, he captured the spirit of so many Americans who lived, worked and died during the period of World War II. More than a series of war stories, Brokaw's collection of mini-biographies has inspired millions of veterans and their families to talk and reflect about this era, which ranks as one of the most monumental periods in U.S. history.

Brokaw's introduction to his classic work had this to say about those days leading up to World War II: "At a time in their lives when their days and nights should have been filled with innocent adventure, love and the lessons of a workaday world, they were fighting in the most primitive conditions possible across the bloody landscape of France, Belgium, Italy, Austria and the coral islands of the Pacific."

Brokaw continued, "They answered the call to save the world from two of the most powerful military machines ever assembled, instruments of conquest in the hands of fascist maniacs. They faced great odds and a late start, but they did not protest."

What Brokaw concluded — and what every American should know — is this:

"They succeeded on every front. They won the war, they saved the world. They came home to joyous and short-lived celebrations and immediately began the tasks of rebuilding their lives. They married in record numbers and gave birth to a distinctive generation, the Baby Boomers." During the years from 1941 to 1945, Morgan County saw more than 3,000 men and women go off to fight. Sadly, as is inscribed on the Morgan County Veterans Memorial (Phase I), more than 84 local young people died during that war. Within the past few days, the names of a few more boys from Morgan County have been categorized as "killed in action" during that war. Their names will soon be engraved.

Slipping away

Wayne Dillman, a Martinsville resident and Banta native, is chairman of the Morgan County Veterans Memorial Committee. Although he missed World War II by a few years ("We thought we were home free," he said), he was part of the 45th Division, a replacement unit for the Oklahoma National Guard in Korea. The National Guard was called up for the war in Korea, and Dillman said three or four of his fellow soldiers have already died. He noted that another Korean veteran, Dean Kidwell, made the first contribution to the Morgan County Veterans Memorial Project. It was Kidwell's dream to see a monument for veterans of 20th-century warfare, and for a brother who was killed in action.

"Dean was one of the original veterans who wanted something done to remember Morgan County's sacrifice during all the wars," Dillman said. "He never lived to see what has come from this memorial effort. We played a video of the Phase I dedication for him in the hospital before he died."

Dillman said World War II was basically "everyone's war."

"Here in Morgan County we had special days each week to bring pieces of copper or copper wire for the war effort," he said. "We collected all kinds of things to help out. People in later generations have no way of knowing the sacrifice made by families during that war. Without the support of farmers, women in factories and on the home front, it would have been hard for our servicemen and women to win World War II."

Dillman said children and grandchildren of local veterans have called members of his committee, written them letters and told them in person how much they appreciate the memorial, the Veterans Museum and the memorial bricks. Dillman is proud to be a part of the effort.

Merrill St. John, a Veterans Memorial Committee member and Army Air Force veteran of World War II, said at the first memorial tribute celebration in November 2001, "There has always been someone wanting to take away our freedom — we have to keep making installments on it. Soon, there won't be anyone left to share first-hand accounts of the great wars. We've got to give a message to our youth and keep the stories going."

Congressman Brian Kerns, attending the same celebration two months after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, commented on the tragedy.

"These evil people have not divided us — they have united us," he said. "Divorces are down and people are going back to church. We are looking at the heroes in our own community — firemen, policemen and emergency personnel — in a new way. America will triumph."

War years a prelude to life

Although so much has been written about World War II, both about the war front and the home front, the years since 1945 have been some of the most amazing in U.S. history. Without question, local veterans, with the total support and effort of a "united home front," came back to help build a United States that has flourished like few other nations in the history of the world.

According to Brokaw's book, soldiers and their new spouses helped build a modern United States where more people could buy their own home, go to college and enjoy the luxury of new cars, TVs, boats, recreational vehicles and vacation homes on the lake. They could travel the world and live in a free country where material abundance has exceeded anything ever known.

Now, nearly 60 years after the atomic bomb brought an end to the world's deadliest war, the fruits and rewards of five decades of post-war prosperity are made sober by the realities of time's passing.

More than a half-century after the guns fell silent, after the bombs ceased to fall, the ranks of World War II veterans are dwindling. The old reunions are coming to an end.

David Ross, director of Morgan County Public Library, found from veteran Internet sites and the Indiana War Memorial Database that nearly 1,500 of these gallant men and women are dying each day. With the passage of time, there are fewer than four million World War II veterans surviving today.

In just a few years, and much too soon, the World War II veterans will nearly all be gone. As we experience the grim realities of the war in Iraq and the world's war on international terrorism, we need to reflect on the passing of a generation of older Americans who lived through four years of unparalleled horror.

From James Bradley's account, Flag of Our Fathers, there were weeks during World War II when more than 3,000 to 5,000 American soldiers were killed in action, such as during the invasion of Normandy and at Iwo Jima. It is almost impossible for today's generation of Americans to imagine such a calamity.

As time marches on and as the "Greatest Generation" is rapidly becoming the "Vanishing Generation," President Abraham Lincoln's words, "a new birth of freedom," come to mind. That freedom was earned through the sacrifices made over the years by the United States' best.

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Veterans’ Web site aims to compliment memorial By Amy Hillenburg Tuesday, March 23, 2004   Margaret Dillman, wife of Veterans’ Memorial Committee Chairman Wayne Dillman, displays a picture of the monument shown on the new Morgan County Veterans’ Memorial Web site, www.mcvm.us. Margaret Dillman wrote the script for the Web site, created by Amy Hicks. Courtesy photo. Morgan County When Wayne and Margaret Dillman hosted the Morgan County Veterans’ Memorial Committee in their home last week, the hard-working veterans advocates received a very special surprise. Attending the get-together, along with the Dillmans, were Elmer and Viola Reynolds, Merrill and Marilyn St. John, and Ed and Rosemary Williams. After enjoying a home-cooked meal by “master chef” Wayne Dillman, his wife Margaret provided their friends with the most exciting event of the evening. She presented a premier showing of a new Web site, which showcases the Morgan County Veterans’ Memorial in O’Neal Park in Martinsville. Reynolds, whose newspaper columns “Hometown Heroes” served as a catalyst for local veterans to dream of building the memorial, described the unveiling as “one of the most enjoyable and rewarding experiences of our years of work on the project.” Reynolds described the role of Margaret Dillman in the Veterans’ Memorial Project. “Ed, Wayne, Merrill and our wives Rosemary, Margaret, Marilyn and Viola have worked for years to make this dream of our Veterans’ Memorial a reality,” Reynolds said. “So often, it has been us fellas whose pictures, faces and voices have been out front before the public. But our ladies have really been a bedrock of work and support in making things happen.” Reynolds said Margaret Dillman was an “unsung hero” in her work behind the scenes as the committee’s secretary and treasurer - keeping track of brick orders, recording donations, creating a database of commemorative bricks, keeping financial records and now creating the script for the Web site. “Ed Williams, Merrill St. John and Wayne Dillman served their country in World War II and Korea, and have devoted most of the past three years of their lives in helping us build our Memorial,” Reynolds said. “But if there was ever a ‘Hometown Hero’ who deserves a story and who merits a special citation, it is our dear friend Margaret Dillman. For all who can access the Web site, they can experience the sights and sounds (Cliff Trowbridge’s stirring patriotic music) of the ‘best small town or small county veterans’ memorial in America.’” The Web site, www.mcvm.us, was built by Web designer Amy Hicks. She designed the site to reinforce and enhance the Veterans’ Memorial through innovative and interactive flash Web design. The animation provides a powerful, visual impact for the viewer. Dillman, who wrote the poignant script for the Web site, says, “Amy Hicks has created a stirring, patriotic panorama, which is sure to delight every person who visits the site. The flash design gives viewers an opportunity to energize the site and instantly communicates the nature of our ‘Hometown Heroes.’” The monuments are showcased, and the Web site features the listing of all the Morgan County soldiers who have been killed in action. Also listed are the names of almost 2,000 recipients of the commemorative and home front bricks that have been laid in the park. The names of the two Morgan County Congressional Medal of Honor recipients are included as well. Photo galleries are available for viewing, accompanied by Trowbridge’s music. For anyone who would like to order a brick, you may acquire an order form from the Web site or at various locations in Martinsville. Bricks can also be ordered by visiting the Veterans’ Museum building any Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon, on the corner of Jefferson and Washington streets in Martinsville.

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Memorials should be highlighted

Thursday, January 08, 2004

To the editor,

I was recently back in town for the funeral of my grandfather Ted Fletcher, when I was informed of the Memorial Park that had been created on the square. If not by word of mouth I would have missed this remarkable display honoring the veterans of Morgan County.

I had the opportunity to speak with Mr. Wayne Dillman, one of the gentlemen responsible for making this park a reality. I would love to see this park mentioned as a highlight of things to see when visiting Martinsville. Whether it be on billboards outside of town or over the internet, this park and what it represents should be a focal point for the community.

I have never seen a more fitting and beautiful tribute to our veterans than the one Mr. Dillman and his group have created for us. I say us because I too am a veteran born in Martinsville and still proudly call it home even though I reside in California.

I’m sure there have been pieces done on the park I was unable to see. My point is there is nothing in town alerting you to the fact that it exists and it is something that everyone should experience and feel proud to be a Morgan County resident with great people who care about our past, present and future.

Kevin P. Fletcher, Norco, Calif.
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