Our Village Vet's Memorial

In the planning for more than 3 years our village has finally replaced a very tired Vet's Memorial with this new one. As always projects like these require extra funding usually done by selling "Memorial Bricks/Plaques". So I thought I would donate a brick on behalf of those of us who served at the Alaska Nike Sites. Construction was finally started in the spring of 2012 and is now completed in November with the exception of some lighting and replanting of grass which will wait until spring.

It is my hope that the addition of our plaque will give some recognition to us our units and the mission of Nike in the cold war. The memorial is located in Monticello Wisconsin a small village about 30 miles south of Madison Wi. what follows are photos of the construction and completed project. Perhaps others may have the opportunity to do likewise.

Construction Photos

Completed Monument this is in a park area called Montesian Gardens where there a group of flower bed's as seen in the foreground. Actual location is on State Highway 69 and the intersection of  County C (W. Coates Ave)

 

The brick purchased on behalf of the Alaska Nike Vets.

Program from Dedication ceremony done

 May 27, 2013

An interesting side note about the guest speaker at the dedication. Gerhard Pechmann who is the owner of Pechmann Memorials they were the designer and contractors for the monument, the firm has done many in the state of Wisconsin.

 

 Pechmann’s father who started the company was a German WWII POW he served in the German Army in Russia and later in Italy where he was captured. He then spent his   internment in Wisconsin working the many vegetable fields during harvest time. After the war he returned to France then was offered sponsorship from a farmer at Lodi WI. So he emigrated to Wisconsin spent his time with the farmer to payoff his sponsorship, as he was a stone cutter by trade before he was drafted into the German Army he entered into that business and formed Pechmann Memorials.