Chamber of Commerce

HonoringService T NC State Veterans Park comes to life after years in the making. By Jason Brady he North Carolina State Veterans Park finally came to fruition during a grand July 4th dedication ceremony in downtown Fay- etteville. The 10 a.m. kickoff, adjacent to the Airborne and Spe- cial Operations Museum, marked the culmination of more than 15 years of planning, financing and building the first phase of North Carolina's tribute to all military veterans. Located at 300 Bragg Boulevard, it serves as the symbolic gateway into Fayetteville's historic and revitalized downtown. The park is appropriately situated in what civic leaders proclaim to be America's First Sanctuary Community for the Military and America's Most Pro-Military Town. "The bold and contemporary design of the North Carolina Veterans Park serves as a reminder for all who visit as to the progress made by the city of Fayetteville in transitioning the City into the 21st century. The Park and its wonderful amenities will provide a memorable gateway into the heart of the City," said Fayetteville City Manager Dale Iman. The eight-acre park consists of a visitors' center, seven water features, tree- and flag-lined trails, and public art including the impressive curved "Oath" Wall, adorned by bronze castings of North Carolina veterans' hands, one from each of the 100 North Carolina counties. The unidenti- fied hands represent the men and women who left their respective homes to take the oath of service engraved upon the Oath Wall. The hand casts are displayed as a line of right hands, displayed at various heights to create the illusion of a swearing-in ceremony. However, upon closer inspection, a park visitor will find one of the castings is a left hand, belonging to a veteran who had lost his right hand. "We all need to remember that the North Carolina State Veteran's Park is not just about the Army and local veterans, but all veterans of all services-state wide. The designers have done a great job of capturing that theme. The fact that it's co-located with the Airborne and Special Operations museum will greatly benefit both facilities and the city of Fayetteville, said retired General James Lindsay, former 18th Airborne Corps commander. Upon his retirement, General Lindsay was a driving force in getting the ASOM built on its current site. The design and content of the park was a community affair. The city of Fayetteville recruited veterans and nonveterans alike to help plan the first phase of the park. It created several work- ing groups, among them the Design and Review Committee and the Content Committee, made up of representatives from all branches of the armed services: Army, Navy, Marine Corps, www.FayettevilleNCChamber.org | 41 A contingent from the Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry was on hand to serve as the honor guard during the dedication of the NC State Veteran's Park.

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