Rolla area veterans got their wish on their special day — Veterans Day — as more than 200 gathered at the 10-acre site on Southview Drive to dedicate Veterans Memorial Park.
It is a site — and it was a sight — befitting World War II veterans and current-day Iraqi war warriors, and the multitudes and servicemen and women in between.
Those attending included the gamut — the veteran foot soldiers to Brigadier Gen. Bryan Watson, the Commandant of the Engineering School at Fort Leonard Wood, who also addressed many of the same veterans on Memorial Day at ceremonies at Rolla cemeteries.
Watson, whose booming voice echoed off the hills to the west, told of the evolution of the word “veteran” from an old knowledgeable person to a battle-savvy soldier to its progression of a seasoned player of the National Football League. Watson likened the camaraderie formed in battlefields to the relationships built on the NFL fields of competition.
The park, which was dedicated with a ribbon-cutting, is a grassy grade with a spacious, newly asphalted parking lot, a sign indicating of plans of what are to come and a flag pole donated by the City of Rolla that previously was located at the Powell Lumber Co., now city-owned property.
Rolla High School’s Chamber Choir, under the direction of Jeff Sandquist, offered a stirring rendition of the National Anthem and then a stream of dignitaries took to the microphone.
Sen. Frank Barnitz, representing District 16, assured the veterans their concerns were his, as he has been named to the Senate Veterans Committee. Barnitz gave a brief update on the Veterans Cemetery at Fort Leonard Wood, saying it now would be ready by March 1.
State Rep. Dan Brown addressed the group, thanking veterans for their sacrifices.
Persons wishing to contribute to the park may do so by sending their donations to Norman Ragan, 11975 County Road 8010, Rolla, Mo., 65401.
