The right light on things sure can show off its beauty.
That's what I was thinking on Saturday morning as I took a look at some of the finishing carpentry Kent Hoff was installing at the Green County Veteran's Memorial Park just north of Monroe at the corner of County N and Wisconsin 81.
The project - the Memorial Hall of Honor - has been under construction for months with different people in the skilled trades involved. Hoff just happened to be there when I showed up to take photos of the Huey helicopter and the M-60 A3 tank located at the park.
Hoff was putting up some of the molding and other pieces that joined together the cedar-wood ceiling and cupola.
"I like this place," Hoff said. "I think it makes a great park."
The improvements at the park will include the names of all Green County veterans inside on the walls of the hall of honor. This includes those who served from the American Revolution to present day. The ceiling, built with plenty of electrical outlets for lighting, looks as good as fresh cedar smells.
Hoff said that even since its original idea, the memorial project has come a long way. The first rendering of a drawing for it was scrawled on a napkin and delivered by Larry Ayers, president of the Green County Veterans Memorial Park. Ayers and other volunteers and those in the skilled trades continued to evolve the idea. Today they have wood framing and brick-and-mortar.
The park has its own web page at www.greencountyveterans.org which tells the story of the decade-plus long effort of volunteers to create a space that recognizes veterans. Donations have made this possible along with the great, widespread volunteerism.
The park is on land that was donated by the Green County Board of Supervisors. In 2004, an M-60 tank was placed at the site. In 2016, a Bell UH-1M "Huey" Iroquois helicopter was placed at the site.
There are flags, plaques, benches and many other amenities with the names of donors everywhere. Of course, fundraising for the memorial and its upkeep is ongoing and donations are always welcome.
Contributions can be sent to Green County Veterans Memorial Park, c/o Community Fund of Southwest Wisconsin, P.O. Box 733, Monroe, WI, 53566. There's also a Green County Veterans Memorial Park Facebook page.
The park is a beautiful, peaceful place. It's well worth a visit for a walk. It continues to be lovingly built with reverence.
- Matt Johnson is publisher of the Monroe Times. His column is published Wednesdays.
That's what I was thinking on Saturday morning as I took a look at some of the finishing carpentry Kent Hoff was installing at the Green County Veteran's Memorial Park just north of Monroe at the corner of County N and Wisconsin 81.
The project - the Memorial Hall of Honor - has been under construction for months with different people in the skilled trades involved. Hoff just happened to be there when I showed up to take photos of the Huey helicopter and the M-60 A3 tank located at the park.
Hoff was putting up some of the molding and other pieces that joined together the cedar-wood ceiling and cupola.
"I like this place," Hoff said. "I think it makes a great park."
The improvements at the park will include the names of all Green County veterans inside on the walls of the hall of honor. This includes those who served from the American Revolution to present day. The ceiling, built with plenty of electrical outlets for lighting, looks as good as fresh cedar smells.
Hoff said that even since its original idea, the memorial project has come a long way. The first rendering of a drawing for it was scrawled on a napkin and delivered by Larry Ayers, president of the Green County Veterans Memorial Park. Ayers and other volunteers and those in the skilled trades continued to evolve the idea. Today they have wood framing and brick-and-mortar.
The park has its own web page at www.greencountyveterans.org which tells the story of the decade-plus long effort of volunteers to create a space that recognizes veterans. Donations have made this possible along with the great, widespread volunteerism.
The park is on land that was donated by the Green County Board of Supervisors. In 2004, an M-60 tank was placed at the site. In 2016, a Bell UH-1M "Huey" Iroquois helicopter was placed at the site.
There are flags, plaques, benches and many other amenities with the names of donors everywhere. Of course, fundraising for the memorial and its upkeep is ongoing and donations are always welcome.
Contributions can be sent to Green County Veterans Memorial Park, c/o Community Fund of Southwest Wisconsin, P.O. Box 733, Monroe, WI, 53566. There's also a Green County Veterans Memorial Park Facebook page.
The park is a beautiful, peaceful place. It's well worth a visit for a walk. It continues to be lovingly built with reverence.
- Matt Johnson is publisher of the Monroe Times. His column is published Wednesdays.
