Veterans Monument Update

[Eagle101]

:) The veterans monument at the Marengo County Courthouse will be dedicated on November 11, 2003 at 10: a.m.. Work is progressing on time. The circular sidewalk/ retainingwall, monument base and flag pole sleeves are completed. The area where the engraved bricks are to be laid have been backfilled. The 20,000 pound monument will be in place in the next two weeks are so. The monument will then be engraved in place.

Jerry Gaddy owner of Gaddy Electric in Demopolis is donating the material and labor to install lights on the monument and flags. Students of the Cabinet Making Class , Jack Dixon instructor, at the Marengo Tech Center in Linden will construct a display case for our special flags that will fly over the monument on certain designated hoildays.

Deadline to order bricks is October 15, 2003.

The members of the Veterans Monument Committee wishes to thank everyone who ordered bricks, donated funds or had any part in making this monument a reality.

[Rootsandwings]

How do we find out if a brick has been bought in someone's honor? We want to get one for my uncle but we don't know if someone has already gotten one.

[Eagle101]

To date, we have received 713 requests for engraved bricks for to honor our veterans. We have received duplicate requests for only two. Many duplicate requests were avoided when people called me at 334-289-1251 to ask if a brick has been ordered for someone.

I designed a spreadsheet to keep track of the brick requests. Four hundred (400) have been submitted to Doric-South to be engraved. I am reviewing all requests to check the layout and ensure they can be printed as requested. For example some people did not leave spaces between words and everything they want to print will not fit on the brick. May just have names to be printed and more info about the veteran can be printed. We want to at least have the veterans name, branch of service and war they were in or the years of their service. Veterans with short names can have more info printed than those with longer names. Most of the time the veterans name takes up the first two lines.

I am trying to make the most vital information fit on the bricks without calling the purchaser. I WILL call to obtain more information or when a major change is to be made or information may have to be deleated.

We are doing all we can to catch mistakes before the bricks are made. If our mistakes are detected by someone when the monument is dedicated we will replace the bricks.

Doric-South of Demopolis was chosen as the contractor because they were able to handle every step of the construction; excavation, constructing the monument base, flag pole installation, sidewalks, backfilling, supplying the stone for the monument, bricks, engraving on the bricks and the monument and the installation of the bricks. We also kept the revenue in the economy of Marengo County. Also being a local company. we felt Doric-South will take more pride in their work than those outside the county. The final answer on that will be known at the dedication by those who attend.

Long answer to a short question but I want to keep everyone informed on the progress of the monument. I think Marengo County will be proud of the monument when it is finished. It has to beat what we didn't have before.