MADISON S.D. (KELO)– The city of Madison will be hosting its dedication ceremony on Saturday for the Veterans Honor Park with several veterans and members of the South Dakota U.S.
Congressional Delegation expected to be in attendance.
The project is a joint effort between Ronald Westby VFW Post 2638 and McKibben-Mosher American Legion Post 25.
Those scheduled to be attendance to the event include U.S. Sen. John Thune, U.S Sen. Mike Rounds, and U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson, Attorney General Marty Jackley, as well as several veterans such as Medal of Honor Recipient, Michael Fitzmaurice.
The dedication ceremony for the park begins at 1 p.m. on Saturday at 744 S Washington Ave. in Madison.
Photos of the park can be seen below.
Madison Mayor Roy Lindsay, said in a Friday interview with KELOLAND News, that they have been working on this project for over five years in a joint committee.
“Well, in 2016 and 2017, the engineering was being done to rebuild Washington Avenue and the people that had been using it as a construction site and so when I visited with them, I asked them if they had plans to develop it or if they would consider talking to their accountant to see if it would be advantageous to them to take it as a tax deduction and that donate to the VFW and the American Legion and that’s what they chose to do,” Lindsay said.
He added that the fundraising for the park began in 2020 with a groundbreaking occurring in 2021.
Lindsay said the park will honor everyone who has served, and it honors those who have served and gave their all to the service of our country.
“Well, in a lot of cities in that, we have memorial parks and we do have one in Madison too in the center of town that honors those who have given their all in service to the country, but we didn’t, we don’t have one that honors both those that served as well as those that gave their all, and so this park was designed to do both,” Lindsay said.
The park hosts several walls where names of veterans can be added, Lindsay said the park was designed to be able to grow in the future, the park also hosts the life of the soldier mural, as well as the symbol of freedom statue.
Lindsay said this park comes from years of work and he is excited to see what happens next.
“Tomorrow will be the dedication of all the hard work that the veterans have put into designing, fundraising, and building this park and bring it to its final I wouldn’t say final completion, bring it get to the point that it’s at right now because there is room for future development, for future people who serve and a future committee to decide and determine that,” Lindsay said.
Parking for the dedication will be at Ace Hardware, Lewis Drug, Montgomery’s and Washington Plaza.
