Veterans humbled to purchase benches honoring those KIA
Brothers Dean and Rene Weber admire the monument listing Holmes County members who served and gave their lives or were prisoners of war. The new monument is located on Glen Drive in Millersburg.
The Holmes County Veterans Memorial on Glen Drive next to the Holmes County District Public Library has developed quickly, the monument dedicated to veterans who were killed in action, missing in action or prisoners of war.
Recently, a small group gathered together to celebrate the arrival and placement of several granite benches honoring specific service members who died in active duty.
The quintet of men honored on the benches includes Spec. 4 Larry Dean Barton, Spec. 4 James L. Clark, Cpl. Jerry L. Spitler, Sgt. Thomas G. Fisher and Cpl. Frederick (Rick) W. Miller.
The Holmesville Legion purchased the bench for Tom Fisher, who was killed in action in Vietnam.
“We rode a bus together for years, so that covered a lot of ground,” Yoder said of Fisher. “Those were some fun and interesting memories. He was just a good old boy back in the day. He died way too young, as did many of those who served and gave their lives in the name of freedom.”
Before Yoder even left for Vietnam, he lost his friend Fisher and his cousin and Bill Baird came up missing in action.
Thus, this monument means a great deal to him, as it does to many other veterans.
“Thank God people here care enough to support this venture,” Yoder said. “This monument is very touching, and it’s big in my heart.”
Dean Weber and Rene Weber are members of Holmesville Legion Post 551 and were honored to be part of a group that dedicated funds to purchase the bench to honor Fisher.
“It was an easy decision for us as a group to make,” Rene Weber said of providing the funds for the bench.
“We felt it was important to provide a memory of Tom because he was from Holmesville,” Dean Weber said. “All of these guys deserve to be remembered, and this monument is a special tribute to their memory and their service and sacrifice.”
Rene Weber said they are grateful to all who have donated financially and through their work in making the monument a reality.
Seeing it come to fruition has been a blessing and a touching tribute to the veteran community.
Rene Weber said gaining a better understanding of what every veteran experiences creates a unique bond.
Joel Menuez, a member of the American Legion in Millersburg, donated funds for the bench project, honoring Marine Rick Miller, who was within two weeks of rotating out when he was killed in action in Vietnam.
“This monument is a wonderful tribute, and it’s something that both draws us veterans closer together while serving as a reminder to others of the sacrifices that were made in the name of freedom,” Menuez said. “When I come here and sit down to visit, I want to think about these guys we are honoring and the friends we lost. I’m sure everyone will look at it from their own perspective.”
Jim Miller, who has been one of the committee leaders helming the project, said while the wall and monuments along with the benches are now in place, the next step will be placing flowers, plants and trees around the monument to beautify the landscape.
While a pavilion was originally on the horizon, Miller said the committee is shifting gears and moving in another direction because there are already a pair of pavilions fairly close to the monument.
“We’re moving toward purchasing a tank now,” Miller said. “We’d like to eventually purchase a tank and place it between the monument and the library. It would be an incredible addition to the monument that will really make it stand out.”
Miller said the community has been incredibly supportive of the monument committee’s efforts, and he said it couldn’t happen without the ongoing support.
“We couldn’t ask for anything more than what people have given,” Miller said. “It’s been inspiring to see it grow from an idea into what it is today.”
The landscaping is a work in progress and will include blue shale stone, mulch, plants and possibly decorative trees.
“I’ve got a group of people providing some input on the landscaping,” Miller said.
He said the funds to cover the expenses are more than $140,000, with a total of $33,000 still owed, so donations continue to be a critical part of the development of the monument.
The group continues to work on developing grants to go with donations.
Anyone wishing to donate to the project can send a check to Holmes County Veterans Services and mail it to 75 E. Clinton St., Suite 104, Millersburg, OH 44654. Checks should be made out to Holmes County Veterans Memorial.