Sat Nov 07 2009
By LISA NICELY
ANTWERP -- It is time for the changing of the guard in Antwerp.
The Veterans Equally recognized for Time Served (VETS) organization has started phase one of its project to repair and restore the old Civil War memorial and expand the memorial to honor all veterans from the Antwerp Local School District area. A kick-off event for phase one was held Saturday at the Antwerp VFW hall.
"This is the first phase of our project to honor all area veterans," said Nancy Lichty of the VETS committee. "It is our concept to refurbish and restore this monument for all veterans, to honor not only those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom but those who gave their time and came back to be the backbone of our community."
The project will be done in three phases, which include cleaning and work on the current Civil War memorial, creating a concrete platform and viewing area while removing the deteriorating foundation, and nine granite tables to be engraved with the names of all area veterans.
"We needed $30,000 just to get to this part," said Lichty. "We did that in a year. This community really has been supportive. Antwerp should be very proud there is a lot of history here.
"When this is done, there will be families who can stand at this monument with their children and say, 'Here's your great-grandfather, he fought in this war, here's your grandfather, he fought here.' "
Not all of the old memorial will be incorporated into the new one. The two canons located at each side of the current memorial will not be part of it. The cannons are not being replaced because they aren't real, but are black tubes painted to look like canons.
The gun in front of the memorial and time capsule will remain on site, however.
Phase one of the project, titled "Changing of the Guard," includes the repair, cleaning, restoration and repair of the broken granite and statue of the current memorial located at Riverside-Veterans Memorial Park in town. This memorial has been in place since 1918. The memorial will be dismantled and taken to Homier Monumental in Defiance. The estimated cost of the cleaning is $15,790.
There will also be a engraving with the five military service emblems placed on the base of the statue along with a marker stating the memorial is for all veterans.
Phase two of the project includes raising funds to construct a platform and lay the foundations for the monument and nine name tablets plus site preparations. Cost of this phase is approximately $27,442
The third phase will be raising funds to purchase the nine name tables, which will cost approximately $6,000 each. The cost includes the engraving of each name.
Landscaping will also be done at this phase.
"We have over 1,000 names currently," Lichty said of the name tables. "We need to get everyone we can before this goes up. We will have it set up by the years of service. We will possibility update this every two to three years as veterans come back and get discharged."
Antwerp Mayor Ray DeLong said the VETS group has done a great job with the project.
"I want to thank the VETS for their efforts to pay homage to our fallen heroes and all our area vets who have fought in wars," he said.
"I hope all our citizens, businesses and organizations get behind this project for our community," the mayor said.
Randy Brooks, Paulding County veterans service officer, said the restoration of the Civil War statue and the new memorial will be something of which everyone can be proud.
"He has stood his long vigil for Antwerp's veterans for the past, present and future (and) thanks to the VETS group we can restore him to his former glory and have a beautiful veterans memorial for those who served their community and country with honor and dignity."
Mark Homier of Homier Monumental said that individuals from his business will be taking down the monument in two to three weeks.
"Our staff will come in with equipment while the ground is frozen and take the monument apart," he said. "We'll haul everything back to Defiance. Piece by piece we will clean it and fix the parts we can. They will be fixed up and waiting when the foundation is placed this spring or summer."
Homier said that from the time they take the memorial down it will be four to five months until the monument will be ready to return to the village.
"That doesn't mean it will be back up," he said. "We need to get the foundation laid. That time frame doesn't include the tables, just the main man. The new carvings and tablets aren't included."
The tablets will be six feet high, three feet wide and eight inches deep. It is possible names will be engraved on both sides of the tablets.
Homier said he doesn't know how long it will take to complete the entire memorial.
"It's a far bigger project than that one (in Sherwood)," he said. "That was done within a year. It just depends on the fund-raising efforts and the support of the community."
To donate to the memorial write to Veterans Equally recognized for Time Served, PO Box 742, Antwerp 45813 or contact a VETS member.
In addition, the VETS group is selling gray granite pavers to be used at the memorial.
The pavers are to honor anyone or a special veteran.
Paver sizes are 8 by 8 by 2 inches with up to five lines of 14 characters each for $175 (spaces are considered a character). An 8- by 4- by 2-inch paver with three lines of 14 characters is $100.
Blank pavers will be added for the future.
Because of the nature of the memorial, VETS reserves the right to reject any wording that does not reflect an honorable tribute.
Pavers will be placed in the final stages of the memorial project.
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