Plans for the Chase County Veterans Memorial coming to fruition, memorial bricks available

The Chase County Veterans Memorial began with an idea and a joint effort by several individuals.
    In 2015, a smaller version of Washington D.C.’s Vietnam Wall, called the “American Veterans Traveling Tribute” (AVTT), was on display in Imperial. Donation buckets were set out at the wall to begin gathering funds for a memorial wall in Imperial.
    As time went on, a Veterans Memorial committee formed, and sculptor Fred Hoppe of Columbus was commissioned to design and sculpt a bronze statue of a kneeling soldier with hands folded in prayer. This statue will stand within the memorial site.
    Plans have been unfolding, and progress is being made to garner the funds to build the memorial. It is estimated that the memorial site will cost approximately $200,000, according to veteran and committee member Bob Thomas.
    There will be a registry for all veterans with an honorable discharge who currently live or have previously lived in Chase County.
    In order to be listed on the registry, a military service information form must be filled out and submitted to one of the locations in Imperial. There is no cost for a veteran to be listed on the registry.
    The information forms for the registry can be picked up and dropped off at any of the four banks in Imperial, the VFW Post 4688 in Imperial and The Imperial Republican. They will also be available at the Wauneta Breeze and Western States Bank of Wauneta.
    “It is very important that all registry forms be returned as soon as possible,” said veteran and committee member, Bud Statz.
    Memorial bricks can be purchased at a cost of $200 each by an individual, family, business or organization to honor veterans, and their name will be engraved on the brick.
    A brick can also be purchased to honor a specific veteran, and their military information will be engraved on the brick to pay tribute to  or in memory of the veteran. These memorial bricks  will be used to form a wall as part of the memorial site.
    Each brick will have three lines of 21 characters per line available. If a branch-of-service emblem is included, 15 characters will be available per line.
    Statz added that information for a brick can be written on the back of the registry form and returned with the payment.
    Approximately 38 bricks have been sold to date, said Statz.

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