(RISING SUN, Ind.) — When Rising Sun Mayor Bill Marksberry was growing up, the community used to have a Memorial Service near the Ohio river to honor veterans, followed by a parade march to the county courthouse. Now, Rising Sun’s civic leaders are bringing back a bit of that history with a special, new twist to honor U.S. veterans for many years to come.
On April 4 and 5, the nation’s first Veterans Tribute Tower will be installed in Rising Sun. The Tribute Tower honors all the men and women who serve or who have served our country in the Armed Forces. The Veterans Tribute Tower is a project of the Veterans Coalition, the Commission on the Future for America’s Veterans and The Verdin Company. The three organizations are partnering to honor American veterans and to raise funds for a new strategic plan that includes a long-term initiative for the health and well-being of veterans.
“We’re proud to be the first in the U.S. It’s just the right thing to do,” said Marksberry. “The city had no monument or designated area for our veterans. What better way to honor our veterans than to put one up on our beautiful riverfront.”
The Rising Sun, Ind., bell tower is just one of many Veterans Tribute Towers to be installed throughout the United States in the next 18 months. The Verdin Company prefabricates the tower, puts in the clocks and then utilizes its one-of-a kind mobile foundry to build each commemorative bell on site. This Verdin Bell Foundry on Wheels is a special, on-site casting in which the community helps create the custom bronze bell. The two-day Rising Sun community event includes an “ingot parade,” loading of the bronze ingots, bell pouring and casting, breaking of the mold, grinding and polishing the bell, and a formal dedication. Other activities honoring veterans are also scheduled.
One of the unique aspects of the on-site casting is the community participation. More than 900 students from Rising Sun’s schools will participate in an “ingot parade” and help load the ingots into the furnace. “Every child can help make it,” added Marksberry. “We hope this will help them to realize what this is all about. It’s all about liberty.”
The Verdin Company designed the Veterans Tribute Tower. For each Tribute Tower sold, the company is donating a portion of the revenue generated to the Commission on the Future for America’s Veterans to help with its strategic initiative. They anticipate donating $2.5 million.These 30-foot tall bell towers will stand as a lasting tribute to honor the memory of past American veterans, to salute our present veterans and to inspire the future of all veterans. “It stands as a reminder that all communities need to ensure that our veterans receive the treatment they deserve,” said Jim Verdin, Verdin president. “It’s also an opportunity to say ‘thank you’ to veterans in honor of their selfless service to our nation.”
The Veterans Coalition is a 501(c)(3) Washington-based organization formed in June 2006 to address the staggering challenges facing the 21st century veterans and the need to develop a comprehensive plan for these veterans. The Coalition founded the Commission on the Future for America’s Veterans as an independent, autonomous organization to develop a strategic plan for the Department of Veterans Affairs that will ensure our veterans receive the health care and benefits they have earned in service to our country. They hope to present the strategic plan by early summer 2008.
“America wants to say thanks,” said Harry Walters, CEO of the Veterans Coalition and the managing partner of the Commission on the Future for America’s Veterans. Walters is a Cincinnati native whose military career included three years as head of the Veterans Affairs (VA). He is concerned with the ongoing welfare of America’s veterans. While at the VA he and his staff created a slogan that still rings true for him. “The slogan was simple, sincere and true,” said Walters. “America is #1 thanks to our Veterans.”
Those sentiments are echoed by Ed Sullivan, Executive Director of the Rising Sun Regional Foundation, the group that partnered with the city of Rising Sun to provide funding for the Veterans Tower. “We thought it was meaningful to do this,” said Sullivan. “It’s important to have a tribute to veterans. It’s a celebration, not a memorial.”
But honoring veterans was only part of the motivation. The partners also liked the idea of helping veterans by contributing to the commission. “They’re setting some significant goals for health and education,” added Sullivan. “We hope this will help improve services for veterans.
It’s a unique fundraising initiative that can make a lasting impact.
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For more information on the Veterans Coalition and the Commission on the Future for America’s Veterans visit www.future4vets.org.
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