Ten volunteers from Tennessee and Mississippi have combined their efforts to build a Veterans Park. Said individuals comprise a 7-member board, plus one alternate and fundraising co-chairs. Individuals include veterans, one of whom is a wounded warrior, veterans relatives, a judge and members of The American Legion, Rolling Thunder, Patriot Guard Riders and Daughters of the American Revolution.
The DeSoto County Veterans Park will be at I-55 and Church Rd in Southaven, Miss., 5 mi. south of Memphis. Our vision is to make this park something everyone will want to visit, to make it educational and to give people the opportunity to take a walk through the history of our country and honor the veterans who fought to preserve our freedoms.
The park will honor ALL U.S. veterans, living, deceased and presently serving. It will begin with the Revolutionary War and go to the present war on terror, including the Middle East and Caribbean conflicts. To our knowledge there is nothing like this in the country. There will be a monument dedicated to all veterans, 12 individual monuments, one for each war or conflict, a monument to honor our four-legged veterans, and 6 bronze plaques and flags representing each branch of the military. Each monument will have a QR code which will take them to the website, where they will be able to read a synopsis of each war or conflict. All monuments and a wheelchair-accessible walkway will be lighted.
Across the levy there will be a paved "Walk of Honor" bordered with bricks purchased for $125. Names on each brick will be done with a laser. Anyone, regardless of where they live, can purchase a brick but said brick must contain the name of a U.S. veteran. Any brick order that references a medal, such as Bronze or Silver Star or Purple Heart, etc. must include a DD-214 so as to avoid stolen honor. Family members who purchase multiple bricks will be placed together. If a family member lives elsewhere all they need to do is notify us with a note requesting their brick to be placed with a specific family. The POW/MIA chair will be in the center of the levee. There are pictures of 10 concepts of the monuments on the website, 8 of which our board approved and 2 are in rework, (the Vietnam Monument, to reflect North Vietnam and outlines of Laos and Cambodia, and a different Civil War Monument concept). Three concepts are still in process.
Please visit www.desotocountyveteranspark.com and read our story. If you have any questions, contact us via email or numbers listed on the website.