Fundraising begins for Veterans Park phase 2

Jan. 11—Fundraising efforts are underway as organizers look to begin phase 2 of the East Mississippi Veterans Memorial Park that will include a Wall of Remembrance.

Phase 1, which was the static aircraft display, was completed in September with the dedication of the RF-4C Phantom II jet and a ribbon cutting for the park. The ceremony marked the end of a 4-year effort to locate the plane, which was retired from Key Field in September 1991, and return it to the Queen City from a boneyard in Arizona.

Now, with the aircraft restored and repainted, work begins on the next phase, which will be a large Wall of Remembrance.

East Mississippi Veterans Foundation President Jeff Summerlin, who has been leading the veterans park project, said he is hoping to raise $40,000 for the Wall, with the goal of having it completed by Memorial Day on May 29.

"The wall will display a lasting tribute and legacy to Meridian and East Mississippi's heroes and patriots," he said. "The wall will be a place to visit and learn about those men and women from Meridian and East Mississippi who have faithfully served our nation during war and peace, that ensured our freedoms that we have each day."

The Wall of Remembrance will be 50 feet long and 7 feet high, and will display the American, Mississippi and Prisoner of War flags. A pad in front of the wall will also be included to host ceremonies and events.

Opposite the wall, a battlefield cross supplied by Meridian'sVeterans of Foreign War Post 12124, Summerlin said. The cross, he said, symbolizes the service and sacrifice of soldiers killed in battle.

Summerlin said friends and family of veterans can purchase 8.5-inch by 11-inch granite memorial plaques that will be installed on the wall as a lasting tribute to loved ones who served. Over time, he said, the plaques will cover the wall creating a multi-generational monument to military service members throughout Meridian and East Mississippi.

"Every memorial plaque will tell a story of those who faithfully and selflessly served in the military," he said. "This will truly be a place to remember those who have served, especially those who gave all."

In addition to the Phantom jet display and Wall of Remembrance, future plans for the Veterans Memorial Park include an Armed Forces Plaza and a Freedom Walkway.

For more information about the veterans park, how to order a memorial plaque or ways to get involved, visit emsvf.org.

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