Press Room
Grounds of Remembrance Dedication on Memorial Day
Former POW to give Keynote Speech at Dedication
Contact:
Michael Racey
Public Information Officer
614-410-4504 (office)
614-439-3103 (mobile)
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Gene Bostic
Veteran, recipient of Dedication Stone
614-889-8165
Mr. Bostic is a veteran of the US Air Force, who served during both the Korean conflict and Viet Nam. He has been an active committee member who speaks from his heart about the importance of this project.
Jody Davids
Committee Member
614-757-7060
Ms. Davids has been an integral part of the realization of Grounds of Remembrance in Dublin Veterans Park as a tribute those who have sacrificed on behalf of their country. Her son, Wesley Davids, was a member of Lima Company who was killed in Iraq. Davids will speak at the dedication ceremony and will be the first person to officially leave a memento at the Memory Wall.
Jane Harsh
Dublin Resident
614-889-1341
Ms. Harsh gave Dublin City Council the American flag given to her after the 2007 death of her husband, veteran Robert Samuel “Sam” Harsh. Mr. Harsh served in the U.S. Army in the 1940s. The flag will be raised at the site the day of the dedication.
Michael Kehoe
Committee Member and Veteran
614-223-8236
Mr. Kehoe helped lead the committee’s fundraising efforts.
Michael Keenan and John Reiner
City Council and Committee Members
614-764-7000/268-3834
Mr. Keenan and Mr. Reiner are the members of Dublin City Council who have served on the Veterans Project Committee since its inception. Mr. Reiner also is a veteran.
Denise King
Dedication Stone purchaser
614-561-9939
Ms. King, a longtime Dublin resident, purchased stones for two family members.
Grounds of Remembrance Facts
When will the project be dedicated?
A dedication ceremony is planned for noon Monday, May 25, 2009. The public is invited.
What is planned for the Memorial Day dedication?
After an 11 a.m. procession and ceremony in Dublin Cemetery by members of the Dublin VFW and American Legion Post, a procession will travel to the Grounds of Remembrance. Plans for the dedication include speeches by Mayor Marilee Chinnici-Zuercher, Veterans Project Committee members, and former Viet Nam prisoner of war Tom Moe; a fly-over by U.S. Air Force fighter jets; and the first message left at the site’s Memory Wall.
After the dedication, a Memorial Day picnic will be held on a field at nearby Indian Run Elementary. The public is invited to attend.
What is the cost of Grounds of Remembrance in Dublin Veterans Park?
When completed, the estimated cost of the project will be approximately $790,000. A majority of these funds were raised through donations from private companies and individuals, including $150,000 from the Cardinal Health Foundation. The Foundation’s generous support will be recognized on the Memory Wall on a plaque reading, “Respect. Revere. Remember.”
Can I still make donations to the project or purchase Dedication Stones?
Yes. The Veterans Project Committee is still accepting donations for the project. A total of 500 Dedication Stones are available for purchase at $300. For information on all donation opportunities, call the City of Dublin Division of Community Relations at 614-410-4545 or go to www.dublin.oh.us/veteranspark.
What are the major components of the project?
There are five major areas within the Grounds of Remembrance:
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The Recognition Walk focuses on the individual journeys of service men and women. A row of 500 Dedication Stones will be placed along a bronze rail that guides visitors through the site. These stones honor veterans with personalized messages or general messages of gratitude.
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The Loggia is a 10-by-60-foot copper structure that frames the ceremonial area within the Grounds of Remembrance. The Loggia includes the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “Concord Hymn” cut into the north wall.
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The Sycamore Grove will feature trees planted to recognize major contributors to the project. Those donors – each of whom gave $15,000 or more – are The Dublin Foundation; Dublin A.M. Rotary; The Len Immke Family; the Memorial Tournament; OCLC, Schottenstein, Zox and Dunn; Time Warner Cable, Mid-Ohio Division; and Washington Township.
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At the Memory Wall, visitors can leave personal messages or other items. Slots in the stone wall allow for notes and letters to be inserted. The wall provides a place for quiet respite and reflection. A determination will be made soon regarding how the City will collect and preserve these items.
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The Dedication Wall pays tribute to the five branches of the service. The emblem of each branch is etched into the surface. An American flag is displayed at the end of the wall.
Is there an area at the site to recognize prisoners of war and those killed or missing in action?
Yes; a round stone pedestal designed by Dublin Scioto High School junior Darron McGlone has been placed near the Loggia.
Grounds of Remembrance Dedication on Memorial Day
In 2003, Dublin veterans realized something was missing.
“We didn’t have anything to recognize those who have served and those who will serve in the future,” recalls Gene Bostic, Veterans Project Committee member. “Someone needed to leave a legacy.”
That missing legacy was identified in 2003 when the community was researching the City’s history book, Dublin’s Journey. The City determined there was no public space where the community could come together to recognize veterans, current members of our armed forces and their families.
What followed was a six-year journey during which the Dublin community designed, funded and built Grounds of Remembrance in Dublin Veterans Park.
The project – with a final estimated cost of $790,000 – will be dedicated at noon Memorial Day, May 25. The public is invited and encouraged to attend the dedication at the site, just north of the Dublin branch of Columbus Metropolitan Library.
Activities for the dedication include a speech by Col. Tom Moe, a Lancaster resident who served five years as a prisoner of war with future Sen. John McCain in Viet Nam.
The ceremony also will include a letter read by Jody Davids, mother of U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Wesley Davids, who was killed in Iraq in 2005. The letter was written by Wesley Davids to his mother. Jody Davids will be the first person to place an item at the site’s Memory Wall, a quiet location for retrospection where people can leave letters, notes and other items in the memory of those who sacrificed for their country.
Other speakers at the dedication will include Mayor Marilee Chinnici-Zuercher, City Council Members John Reiner and Michael Keenan, Cardinal Health Senior Vice President of Supply Chain Integrity Mark Hartman, and site designer Lisa Rapoport of Plant Architect Inc.
Rapoport’s design reflected the City’s desire for a site that promoted reflection and contemplation rather than simply being a memorial. The site was dedicated in 2006 and construction began in 2008.
A major component of the project was fundraising. The City contributed $250,000 and Dublin City Schools donated the land, but additional funds were needed to make the project a reality.
In June 2008, Grounds of Remembrance received a major boost from Dublin’s Cardinal Health, whose foundation donated $150,000 – the single largest private contribution to the project. Other contributions ranged from large donations from community organizations, events and individuals to smaller Gifts from the Heart.
Many of the donations have been Dedication Stone purchases. The Stones will be installed along a bronze railing that guides visitors to the site. To date, approximately 150 stones have been sold at $300 each. The stones are inscribed in memory of those who have served or as general messages of support.
From a symbolic standpoint, the site is original, creative, inspirational and reflective of Dublin’s community pride. It is a place of remembrance, honor and introspection, recognizing the sacrifices made by those who defended American freedom and those who waited at home for those soldiers to return.
The project was designed to be environmentally complementary to existing natural elements, including nearby Indian Run stream, natural limestone bedrock and a wooded area.
From a practical standpoint, the site will be available as a community gathering place for the observation of future Veterans Day and Memorial Day events.
But for veterans such as Bostic, the site is much more than that.
“What better way to leave a legacy than purchasing a Dedication Stone for a loved one?” Bostic said. “I purchased a stone for my father. He was in WWII in the Marines. He never talked about it. This will give my children and grandchildren the opportunity to see (what he did).”
Project History
The Veterans Project was inspired in 2003 by research for the City’s history book, Dublin’s Journey. The City determined there was no public space where the community could recognize veterans, current members of our armed forces and their families.
The journey of creating of such a site began by forming a Veterans Project Committee, made up of Dublin veterans and members of City Council, City Administration and Dublin Arts Council.
The Committee recommended a site for the project in Historic Dublin, just north of the Dublin Library and adjacent to Indian Run Cemetery.
The next steps were project design.
Artists were commissioned to develop proposals based on the Committee’s vision. Rather than create a memorial, the artists’ were directed to design a site that promoted reflection and contemplation. The design by Plant Architect Inc. was selected as most befitting the site, as well as reflecting Dublin standards and community expectations.
After a site dedication on Veterans Day 2006 and groundbreaking on Memorial Day 2007, construction began in 2008. The park will be dedicated at noon on Memorial Day, May 25, 2009.
After selecting a plan, the next step was fundraising to pay for the $790,000 project. Land came from Dublin City Schools and the City contributed $250,000, but additional funds were needed to make the project a reality.
In June 2008, Grounds of Remembrance received a major boost from Dublin’s Cardinal Health, whose foundation donated $150,000 – the single largest private contribution to the project. Other contributions ranged from large donations from community organizations, events and individuals to smaller Gifts from the Heart.
The site is original, creative, inspirational and reflective of Dublin’s community pride. It is a place of remembrance, honor and introspection, recognizing the sacrifices made by those who defended American freedom and those who waited at home for them to return. The project was designed to be environmentally complementary to existing natural elements, including nearby Indian Run stream, natural limestone bedrock and a wooded area.
The site will be available as a community gathering place for the observation of future Veterans Day and Memorial Day events.
Former POW to give Keynote Speech at Dedication
A former Air Force Fighter Pilot who was imprisoned with Lt. Cmdr. John McCain will be the keynote speaker for the Grounds of Remembrance dedication on Memorial Day, Monday, May 25.
The ceremony begins at noon in Dublin Veterans Park, located behind the Dublin branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library, 75 N. High St.
Col. Tom Moe was 23 years old in January 1968 when a bomb fuse malfunctioned and blew up his F-4C jet over enemy territory in Viet Nam. Moe ejected, parachuted into a tree, climbed down and ran from enemy fire until being captured by North Viet Namese soldiers. He was held for five years in a POW camp in Hanoi, where he met McCain.
Moe stayed in the Air Force after his release and served a variety of assignments, including commanding a fire squadron. He is perhaps best known for delivering a speech at the 2008 Republican National Convention, following former New York Gov. George Pataki and former Secretary of the Navy John Lehman.
Moe also headed the Ohioans Veterans for McCain.
The public is invited to the Grounds of Remembrance in Dublin Veterans Park dedication, which will be just north of the Dublin branch of Columbus Metropolitan Library in Historic Dublin. The rain location will be at Sells Middle School, 150 W. Bridge St.
Download Photos / Images
| Flag in Hand (3.1 MB) Download |
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| Grounds of Remembrance Logo (1.2 MB) Download |
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Loggia |
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| Marching on site (2.1 MB) Download |
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| Salute at Flag (3.8 MB) Download |
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Project Update
Grounds of Remembrance in Dublin Veterans Park is now open
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