Friday, March 29, 2024

Community loves its veterans

The Blooming Prairie community loves its veterans.

That can be easily understood when viewing the Blooming Prairie Veterans Memorial in its existence just to the east of the BP Servicemen's Club.

The Blooming Prairie Veterans Memorial will officially be dedicated next Monday, Nov. 11, Veterans Day. Be a part of this historic occasion to dedicate a memorial that was built by lots of kind hearts.

It was only a dream five years ago and the time is now here to officially dedicate the Memorial to its veterans. There are 432 pavers on the Memorial walls and more to come.

Congratulations to all who had a part in making this dream possible. To the head of the list goes Tom Peterson and the Sons of the American Legion. It was Tom who regularly addressed the public as to the goal of a veterans memorial sometime to be realized.

Tom passed his enthusiasm about a memorial to many others, especially to this committee (a committee of seven is how he affectionately called it).

Realistically, a goal of $250,000 back in 2014 seemed unrealistic. Tom never became deterred in his drive to get a lasting memorial for its veterans.

He knows how to motivate people and that was proven as the donations, actual and in-kind started to roll in.

The money-raising project for the memorial definitely became a community effort. Businesses and industries in the area came forward, as did many individuals.

Farmers & Merchants State Bank of Blooming Prairie gave the first major donation of $25,000. More sizable donations were to follow.

There are too many individuals and organizations who came forward, too many to mention.

It took a little over four years for the $250,000 goal to be achieved but it was attained and the efforts to bring in more monies to take care of maintenance, continues.

Thank you Blooming Prairie veterans and others who love their veterans for helping build a symbol of our freedoms. As the Memorial sign proclaims, "Freedom is not free."

As you watch the huge flag being raised on the flag pole at the Memorial's front, don't be ashamed to shed a tear or two in recognition of what the veterans memorial symbolizes: freedom for all.

Take time to read a special Steele County Times edition on the Veterans Memorial. It is dedicated to building on a dream of some day having lasting memorial to our many veterans.

Our veterans are not forgotten. They will be remembered to the highest of standards.

 

 

 

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