Years of planning took one more step toward project completion last week as the City of Wayne officially broke ground for the Veterans' Memorial in the city.
The monument will be installed on the south side of Wayne City Hall on Wayne Road and officials said the city will document the entire project from the groundbreaking to the final dedication as part of the city archives.
Numerous donations made the monument possible, including nearly $30,000 from military service veterans, members of the UAW Local 900 and Ford Motor Co. While the original plan was to renovate and repair the Peach Memorial near the downtown parking structure and library, donors suggested a memorial specifically dedicated to honoring veterans, a suggestion the city quickly adopted.
When the UAW Local 845 office was moved to Wayne from Canton Township, members there suggested they transport the veterans memorial from their site to Wayne, another suggestion that was welcomed by organizers and city officials.
The project needed about $50,000 in addition to the donations already in place to fund the preparing the ground, pouring concrete, moving the existing monument from Canton to Wayne, the placement of the monuments, a flagpole placement, a bench and other miscellaneous costs. The groundbreaking last week was also a celebration of the participation of all those who donated to the project, officials said.
Several officials from the city, including Mayor John Rhaesa, spoke during the groundbreaking of the significance of the monument and the example of community spirit the project represents.he Wayne Veterans Memorial will be, “a lasting tribute for the many veterans who served their country. Many of these brave souls died, were declared missing in action, or taken prisoner of war. It is incumbent on all to honor our veterans, both past and present, as we would not be enjoying the freedom we have today without their sacrifice,” according to promotional literature from the city.
The city will designate several parking spaces near the memorial for use of veterans.
