A memorial was unveiled at Rhode Island's Veterans Memorial Cemetery Tuesday afternoon.
It honors the men and women of the Elks Association who served in the United States military.
"It is such an exciting time. It took us a while to get here, but we did it," Patti Baccus, Rhode Island Elks Association president, said.
The monument was seven years in the making. It was first proposed in 2015. Since then, $72,000 was raised to make it happen.
"The dream became a reality by hard work, fundraising, and the tenacity of a dedicated Elks group," Leo Blanchette of the Grand Lodge of Elks said. "This is amazing, and I'll tell you one thing, this certainly makes me feel good to be an Elk."
Inscribed on the monument is their mission statement: "So long as there are veterans, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks will never forget them."
"It is our civic duty to honor the men and women that we have before us to care for those that are still with us and more importantly, lay the foundation for future service members to make their path just a little easier," Rhode Island Director of Veterans Affairs Kasim Yarn said.