NOVEMBER 11, 2006

VETERANS MEMORIAL PARK

ABINGDON, VIRGINIA

ON THE NIGHT OF JUNE 3, 2003 LOCAL MILITARY VETERANS ASSEMBLED AND APPEARED BEFORE THE ABINGDON, VIRGINIA TOWN COUNCIL, REUESTING THAT THE 13 ACRE TRACT OF LAND WHERE WE ARE NOW GATHERED BE SET ASIDE AND DESIGNATED VETERANS MEMORIAL PARK TO BE A PERMANENT PLACE TO PAY TIBUTE TO OUR AMERICAN SERVICE MEN AND WOMEN AND THEIR FAMILIES. UNTIL THEN, NEITHER ABINGDON NOR WASHINGTON COUNTY HAD ANY PLACE, EXCEPT CEMETERIES, SET ASIDE TO HONOR OUR VETERANS AND THOSE WHO HAD GIVEN THEIR LIVES FOR OUR FREEDOM.

THAT NIGHT IN JUNE, HOWEVER, THE ABINGDON TOWN COUNCIL GRANTED THE VETERANS’ REQUEST AND SET ASIDE THIS SPECIAL PLACE TO BE KNOWN HENCEFORTH AS VETERANS MEMORIAL PARK. THIS WAS AT LONG LAST A MEANINGFUL AND FITTING TRIBUTE TO OUR SERVICE MEN AND WOMEN.

SOON THEREAFTER, THE VFW AND AMERICAN LEGIONS POSTS OF ABINGDON AND DAMASCUS, LOCAL CITIZENS, CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS AND THE WASHINGTON COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS JOINED THE RANKS IN THE EFFOR TO CREATE AND PRESERVE A PROPER SETTING TO HONOR OUR VETERANS AND THEIR FALLEN COMRADES.

DURING THE PAST THREE YEARS ON VETERANS AND MEMORIAL DAY, CITIZENS HAVE COME TOGETHER AND ASSEMBLED IN THE PARK TO GIVE THANKS TO THOSE WHO HAVE GIVEN OF THEIR LIVES IN THE CAUSE OF FREEDOM.

IT HAS NOW BEEN THREE YEARS SINCE THE PARK’S BEGINNING. EIGHT FLAGS ARE PROMINENTLY AND PROUDLY DISPLAYED ABOVE THE WATERFALL AT THE PART ENTRANCE. THE AMERICAN AND VIRGINIA FLAGS BEAUTIFULLY UNFURL ALONGSIDE THE ENSIGNS OF EACH BRANCH OF OUR MILITARY SERVICES AND THE POW/MIA FLAG. MEMORIALS FOR THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO FOUGHT IN WORLD WAR II, KOREA, AND VIETNAM ARE NOW LOCATED IN THE PARK. A NINE FOOT BRONZE “YELLOW RIBBON” ENTITLED “UNTIL YOU’RE HOME AGAIN”, (THE FIRST OF ITS KIND IN THE NATION), WAS DEDICATED LST VETERANS DAY AS A PERMANENT SYMBOL OF REMEMBRANCE FOR OUR SERVICE MEN AND WOMEN WHO ARE AWAY FROM HOME PRESERVING OUR FREEDOM.

THE PARK IS NOW AN OFFICIAL ARBORETUM WITH TREES PLANED IN HONOR AND MEMORY OF MILITARY VETERANS.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE, PLANS FOR THE PARK INCLUDE THE PLACEMENT OF FIVE PICNIC PAVILIONS (EACH REPRESENTING A BRANCH OF OUR MILITARY SERVICES), A NEW PLAYGROUND, AND A MUSEUM. AT THE TOP OF THE HILL THERE WILL BE AN ETERNAL FLAM SYMBOLIZING A BEACON AND GUIDE HOME FOR POWS AND MIAS. A NEARLY ONE MILE LONG WALKING TRAIL WILL ENCIRCLE THE PARK DISPLAYING MEMORIALS, MONUMENTS, SCULPTURES AND SIGNS WITH HISTORICAL INFORMATION. THIS TRAIL WILL BE NAMED “THE PATH OF HONOR.” THE SOUTH END OF THIS “PATH OF HONOR” WILL BEGIN WITH A MONUMENT RECOGNIZING THE PATRIOTS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, AND EXPECIALLY THOSE FROM WASHINGTON COUNTY, VIRGINIA, WHO SERVED OUR COUNTRY DURING THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR.

THIS VETERANS DAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2006, WE ARE AGAIN GATHERED TO PAY TRIBUT TO OUR AMERICAN VETERANS, AND PARTICULARLY TO REMEMBER THE PATRIOTS WHO FOUGHT FOR THE VERY BIRH OF AMERICA, OVER 230 YEARS AGO.

TODAY WE UNVILE AND DEDICATE THE FIRST OF THE HISTORICAL SIGNS TO BE PLACED ON THE PATH OF HONOR.

THIS FIRST SIGN, CRAFTED TO THE HIGH STANDARDS OF THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, IS ENTITLED “THE SPIRIT OF 1776”. IT CONTAINS PORTIONS OF FAMOUS PAINTINGS THAT DEPICT THE SIGNING OF THE DECLARLATION OF INDEPENDENCE AND AMERICAN SOLDIERS ENGAGED IN BATTLE DURING THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. THE WORDS INSCRIBED ON THE SIGN ARE MEANT TO EMBODY THE SPIRIT AND TYPIFY THE CHARACTER OF AMERICAN SERVICE MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE SERVED OUR COUNTRY FROM THE BEGINNING OF OUR NATION IN 1776 THROUGH TODAY. THE WORDS ARE:

“IN 1776 A SMALL GROUP OF AMERICAN PATRIOTS GATHERED IN THE COLONIAL TOWN OF PHILADELPHIA, PANNSYLVANIA. THESE MEN OF COURAGE, CONVICTION AND VISION CAME FORTH WITH NEW IDEAS AND IDEALS TO FORM A NEW NATION BASED UPON THE UNTESTED PRINCIPLES THAT ALL MEN AND WOMEN ARE CREATED EQUAL AND ARE ENTITLED TO LIFE, LIBERTY, AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS. THESE PRINCIPLES AND IDEALS, HOWEVER NOBLE AND COURAGEOUS, COULD NEVER HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED AND PRESERVED BUT FOR THE COUNTLESS THOUSANDS OF THER MEN AND WOMEN, WHO WERE NOT PEOPLE WITH HIGH RANK OR OFFICE, OR HIGH SOUNDING NAMES, OR HIGH SOUNDING WORDS, BUT WERE SIMPLY MEN AND WOMEN OFA CTION AND COURAGE, AND WITH LOVE OF LIBERTY AND FIDELITY FOR THEIR COUNTRY AND WERE AND ARE THE THOUSANDS OF AMERICAN SERVICE MEN AND OWMEN WHO HAVE GIVEN AND CONTINUE TO GIVE AND PAY THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE OF THEIR LIFE – THEIR LIBERTY – AND THEIR PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS IN ORDER THAT OTHERS MAY BE FREE.”

MAY WE NEVER FORGET.

THANK YOU FOR REMEMBERING. MAY GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS NOW IN HARMS WAY AND MAY GOD BLESS AMERICA.