By BRADEN LAMMERS
braden.lammers@newsandtribune.com
JEFFERSONVILLE —
More than 20,000 pounds worth of granite and marble were set along Riverside Drive in Jeffersonville on Friday morning, the culmination of three years worth of work.
A war memorial to honor veterans of Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom — the war in Afghanistan — was installed along Riverside Drive and Clark Street.
Sitting between two flag poles along the banks of the Ohio River is a triangular granite base engraved with the words honor, duty and country. A black marble triangle and sphere that list the names of the conflict on each side sit atop the base.
The memorial was the idea of Chad Armstrong, a Vietnam veteran and former Army sergeant, who has been working to get the memorial in place for several years.
“It’s a nice completion after three years of work,” he said. “[But] it’s not for me,” he added.
Armstrong said he raised about $11,000 in private funds and through assistance with the city — which contributed about 50 percent of the cost for the memorial through funding and in-kind contributions — to purchase the memorial and to get it installed.
He said the purpose was to honor the veterans of the more recent American conflicts.
“I came from a different generation,” Armstrong said. “There was nothing like this when I came home. I think it’s nice they’re going to be remembered and I think their families will appreciate it.”
Jeffersonville Fire Chief Eric Hedrick, a veteran of Operation Desert Storm, agreed.
“I think it’s great to have it in Jeffersonville,” he said. “It’s very much appreciated. It’s another nice addition to the riverfront.”
A dedication of the memorial is planned for 2 p.m. Veterans Day, Nov. 11.
