Published: November 01, 2009 11:05 pm      

HOT SPOT: Veterans memorial honors those who served

Monument at Darrough Chapel Park remembers lost, fallen servicemen and women

Open to the public Sept. 17, 2000, the Howard County Veterans Memorial at Darrough Chapel Park has been the main gathering place for area veterans and their families.

Whether it’s Memorial Day, Veterans Day or any day to reflect on the sacrifice of United States servicemen and women, the memorial is the spot.

The centerpiece of the memorial is the Clasping Hand statue, a life-size statue of a soldier resting on one knee. His right hand is outstretched, inviting anyone to come and shake it.

A Walk of Honor leads up to the statue. The bricks that make up the Walk of Honor are inscribed with messages from loved ones to all veterans. And behind the statue is a five-piece granite wall with the names of all Howard County veterans who were killed in action, missing in action, or prisoners of war.

Jerry Paul, president of the Veterans Memorial, said the organization recently placed another 21 bricks in the memorial for Veterans Day.

The memorial is open to all veterans from the Civil War to the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

The memorial received a little freshening up recently thanks to the city, he added, referring to several hanging flower baskets donated by the city.

“It’s nice how the city steps up for the memorial, whether it’s for dirt or rock, or the new flowers, and they never charged us a dime,” Paul said.

• Mike Fletcher is the Kokomo Tribune crime reporter. He can be reached at 765-454-8565 or mike.fletcher@kokomotribune.com.