Huntsville Celebrates Memorial Day (May 25, 2009) |
HUNTSVILLE—
The Madison County Veterans Memorial is getting closer to reaching it's goal.Boeing made a $300,000 donation Monday to the memorial fund pushing the total raised to close to $2-million dollars.
The memorial will be built in downtown Huntsville.
Mayor Tommy Battle said he's happy that the fund has reached the $2-million dollar mark, but the fund has a little ways to go to reach the goal.
Nancy Eason is a veteran who served in the Navy for 25 years and said for years she felt like some vets were forgotten
"Now we're swinging back the other way where people really appreciate the military, but for so long they didn't at all,"
There's a soon-to-be-built- statue for veteran's memorial park called "Sacrifice". There are three characters in the statue, two soldiers, a man and woman, who are dragging their brother to safety.
Retired Sergeant Everett Carter served in the 101st Airborne Infantry. One of characters in the statue will represent Carter.
"It's an honor I think about the soldiers that I served with overseas during that time and we lost a lot of them and this is to honor them, and to also honor every American that's served," he said.
Carter said serving his country changed his life and his son coming after him who also served in the military.
"It made him a man, you know when he came back from serving the country and everything..he was a different person".
Overall it will cost about $4 million dollars to complete the entire veteran's memorial. It will recognize 360 residents in Madison County who gave their lives to preserve America's freedom.
