HOLDREGE — A bitter, November wind didn’t stop hundreds of people from gathering Thursday for the dedication of the Holdrege Veterans Memorial.
Gov. Pete Ricketts addressed the crowd during the event Thursday morning at Veterans Memorial Park. Ricketts traced the history of Veterans Day, dating back to 1919 when it was known as Armistice Day and 1938 when it was declared a national holiday. The holiday became known as Veterans Day in 1954 to recognize veterans of all wars, Ricketts said.
“We recognize the sacrifices and say thank you to veterans who put themselves in harm’s way to protect us,” he added.
Ricketts recognized those who brought the memorial to fruition and asked the crowd to remember all who served, including military families and those who never returned home.
The governor’s appearance was one of his many stops for Veterans Day. Ricketts served breakfast at the Hy-Vee Homefront Event in Omaha, and also made remarks at the Central Nebraska Veterans Memorial Dedication Ceremony in Kearney and the America’s Wall of Honor First Light Ceremony in Omaha.
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The Holdrege Veterans Memorial has been over two years in the making, beginning with Donald Dealey and the Holdrege Disabled American Veterans, who had the idea for the memorial and began the initial fundraising. The project became a privately funded collaboration with the Phelps County Community Foundation, Phelps County Development Corporation, Palmer Brothers Granite Co., the Holdrege DAV and the City of Holdrege. A committee comprised of veterans and representatives from these organizations led the planning and design of the memorial.
Thursday’s ceremony in Holdrege included remarks from Holdrege Mayor Doug Young and committee co-chairs, Maj. Mark Kraus IV and Tom Nutt,
“The community can be proud of itself for this accomplishment,” said Committee Co-Chair Tom Nutt during the dedication. “It is a place for veterans to gather but also the entire community.”
Also during the event, Doug Stevenson with Allmand Central Plains Ribfest presented a $7,000 check to Nutt to go toward the project.
The memorial is on the northwest side of the baseball field at Veterans Memorial Park. It is intended to honor local residents and those from Phelps County both living and deceased who have served in the military. Construction began this spring. Palmer Bros. is engraving nearly 500 names of veterans whose names already have been submitted.
The five granite slabs in the memorial have space for about 900 names, and more names will be added once a year. The second phase of the project will include acquiring a static display of military aircraft or vehicles as well as installing a patriotic bronze sculpture at the memorial’s entrance. The city of Holdrege provided property for the site and will provide ongoing maintenance.
For more information about the Holdrege Veterans Memorial, go to www.HoldregeVeteransMemorial.com.
To donate or add a name, visit www.PhelpsFoundation.org.