By Sarah Lang/The Lebanon Reporter
Lebanon — Following years of controversy, the Boone County Veterans Memorial was approved and built in Lebanon Memorial Park, dedicated on Veterans Day Nov. 11.
But it was an uphill climb for proponents of the memorial. The Lebanon Parks and Recreation board of trustees narrowly approved the memorial 3-to-2 at their June meeting. Some board members cited an irresponsible use of green space as the reason for their opposition.
Parks Superintendent John Messenger said he was comfortable with the plan presented, with the VFW and American Legion responsible for upkeep and liability of the 60-foot-wide memorial, as long as they kept their promises.
Work began on the memorial in early August and it was dedicated Nov. 11 in a ceremony that hundreds of community members attended.
“This means quite a lot,” said 87-year-old Esther Mott, whose late husband Alexis was a prisoner of war in Japan during World War II, at the dedication. “I’m so glad they’ve done this. I only wish (Alexis) was here to see it, too.”
Plans for the memorial seemed to have completely stalled in 2008, after three years of planning, personality conflicts and growing controversy.
The park board voted in 2008 not to build the memorial in the park, citing concerns about maintenance and security, but veterans’ groups held tight, saying a monument honoring soldiers and sailors from Boone County belonged there.
The move to build the memorial began in 2005. More than $105,000 was raised for the project, and excavation of a site in the park began in August 2007. Then-Mayor Jim Acton ordered the work stopped and, shortly after, then-parks and recreation director Roger Neal was fired.
