Veterans Park in Brunswick

You are invited to come to the November 1, 2009 grand opening of the Veterans Park in Brunswick, Maryland at 11 AM.  I think you will be pleased to see what our city and our VFW post 10421 have created. This was a joint effort of civilians and Veterans working together to honor Veterans.

Some of our guest and dignitaries we expect will attend

Reverend Frank Fortcamp, Grace Episcopal Church, Brunswick

Fort Detrick the U.S. Army Honor Guard please present the colors.

Listing of possible dignitaries I will highlight those in attendance, acknowledge them and ask them to speak.

U.S. Senators:                Barbara A. Mikulski and Benjamin L. Cardin

U.S. Congressman:        Roscoe G. Bartlett

Maryland Senator:         Alex X. Mooney

Maryland Delegate:        Richard B. Weldon, Jr.

Frederick County Commissioner s:  Jan H. Gardner, Kai J. Hagen, Charles A. Jenkins, and John. L. Thompson, Jr.

Brunswick Mayor Carroll Jones,

Brunswick City Council members:  Mary Bowie, Karin Tome, Beth Johnson, Tom Smith, Walt Stull, and Jeremy Biser.

State Veterans of Foreign Wars commander Jack P. Lewis

District 7 VFW commander Thomas Sipes and our local VFW post Sherman W. Lowry #10421 commander Walter Routzhan

I honor and thank our Brunswick Monument Committee members,

Floyd Goetz , Tracie Frederick , Ric Frederick , Charlie Smith , Walter Routzhan , Pam Routzhan , Wendell Stewart , Bob, Harry George III

I would also like to thank Al Dunham from the city public works and Bruce Dell from Planning & Zoning for their great support and ideas during the design and construction of this park. 

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For two years the Brunswick Monument Committee has been designing this park, raising money, and creating the park. It is a small park but its place is prominent as it is between two churches and near the city police station. We started　by　saving a rusting WWII Stewart tank that was sitting on a concrete pad in the middle of the grassy area and its previous caretaker was trying to get the Army to come and take it away. We became the momentum working with the Army and the VFW post 10421 became official caretaker for the tank. We　refurbished it　thereby saving a beloved part of the town's history.

Next we started raising $12,000 dollars to place a marble monument to honor all Veterans who have ever served or will serve their country. The idea was to take this 13 foot wide by one block long strip of land between two streets and change it from a grassy area to a park with plants and trees. The city officials and most of the people liked the idea. Fund raising started with our own BMC members contributing money and then we solicited money at the local events and in front of the grocery store. A few more dollars were raised through raffles.

Around July of 2008 our Brunswick Monument Committee met with a landscape Architect who produced a free design to make the park more usable by building a retaining wall on the high side thereby creating a large level area. His design also included several thousand dollars of planting. Two of our members then went to several fraternal and commercial firms showing them the design and asking for contributions. This resulted in free material, money, and labor from many individuals and groups.

The design for the monument went through several changes and became the majestic yet simple design of the six service seals engraved upon two stones and a center stone thanking all vets with a laser engraved eagle flying behind the words. This monument was dedicated during Veterans Day Parade 2008, with a blessing, speeches by local and state politicians, and an explanation of the park by me as I am Chair for the committee and news coverage by three papers and a TV channel.

The park has been leveled off and irrigation, electricity, lighting, retaining wall, concrete curbing, concrete stamped and dyed to look like slate, a bronze FALLEN SOLIDER statute, engraved granite pavers, marble benches, over 20k in trees and plantings, all of these make this small　Veterans park breath taking when you see it at night. When you see it during the day the honor it brings to Veterans shows how much pride this city has in its Veterans.

Once again I ask you to come and see what a small group of people working within a great local area can accomplish.

Best regards,

Michael Andrew

Brunswick Monument Committee, Chair

                                                                                                 

                                                                                                                                

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