ALLIANCE ‒ The sun was bright and was a warm breeze put flags in motion as the polished stone captured the crowd’s attention July 12 at Memorial Park.
Nearby, community members, civic leaders and veterans gathered under a tent to help dedicate four new monuments to military service veterans.
The statues honor the veterans of World War I, World War II, Korean War and War on Terror veterans.
The War on Terror combines veterans from the recent wars in the Middle East, including Iraq and Afghanistan. A Vietnam War memorial was dedicated in 2021.
“It is wonderful that everybody else has joined,” said Robert Dillon, an Navy veteran who served in Vietnam. “It’s necessary. This is Memorial Park. Nothing was ever done here until (the Vietnam memorial).”
The park − always known as Memorial Park − was established in 1919 after World War I.
“Today, we complete a sacred circle,” said Alliance Mayor Andy Grove, who thanked the monument committee, park officials and financial donors for their contributions. “Without each of you, these monuments would remain only in our hearts.”
The other speakers included Army veteran Joshua Cioci, former FBI agent and longtime historian John Gross, State Rep. Scott Oelslager, State Sen. Jane Timken and Alliance Councilman Ed Lohnes.
Cheryl Lundgren: Her son, Curtis, ‘is doing well now.’
Cheryl Lundgren, mother of Curtis Lundgren, a Silver Star recipient, also addressed the nearly 100 people in attendance, sharing remarks from her son, now 45, who lives in Iowa.
Her son’s name is on one of five dedicated benches in front of the monuments. An Alliance native and Army veteran, Curtis Lundgren served in Iraq from 2006 to 2007.
Cheryl Lundgren said her son wanted to raise more awareness about military-related traumatic brain injury, and the impact it has had on veterans. Her son has suffered such an injury.
She said her son taught English for a decade after his service but he stepped away from education due to his injury, and now drives truck.
“He’s doing well now,” she said. “But he did have some problems and he wanted people to know (the injuries) are not just from IEDs that we associate with. It’s also artillery fire.”
Grove: ‘Alliance, Ohio, will never forget the price of freedom.’
Former Mayor Alan Andreani, Ted Pase, Bob Akins, Sid Zufall, Sherman Brick, Harry Paidas and Dave Leasure were among the people involved in the planning and execution of the monument park, but none of them spoke during the dedication.
Akins said his group, Vietnam Veterans of America Thomas A. Mangino Chapter 157, kicked off the effort with the Vietnam War monument at Memorial Park.
“That was the blueprint for the other four, which I’m very happy to know that they felt that was adequate to copy,” Akins said after the dedication.
The dedication was emceed by Esther Whiteleather, a member of the Alliance City Parks and Recreation Board. Pastor Raymont Johnson, an Air Force veteran, offered prayers.
Singer Jimmy Korleski performed with his rendition of Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA” before the ceremony closed with a ribbon cutting and a gun salute with Taps.
“Let this be understood,” Grove said. “Alliance, Ohio, will never forget the price of freedom. We will not let time diminish the noble cause of which our veterans served.”
Reach Benjamin Duer at 330-580-8567 or ben.duer@cantonrep.com. On X (formerly Twitter): @bduerREP.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: ‘Today, we complete a sacred circle.’ Alliance dedicates four new military monuments
Reporting by Benjamin Duer, Canton Repository / The Repository
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