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Cramerton to dedicate new Veterans Memorial plaza in November

Gaston Gazette - 2/15/2018

Feb. 15--Cramerton's effort to create a lasting memorial to American veterans has itself resembled an obstacle-laden battle at times over the last two decades.

So the news that the town has finally settled on a firm plan to erect such a tribute has been cause for celebration.

"We have been working on a veterans memorial for the 20 years I've been connected to the town," said former Cramerton Mayor Cathy Young. "There have been a number of committees and attempts, and I am just so thrilled it's finally been approved and is going forward."

Town leaders this week announced plans to construct a Veterans Memorial plaza in what is known as Centennial Center, directly across from Town Hall and near the intersection of Eighth Avenue and Center Street. Their goal is to complete and dedicate it Sunday, Nov. 11, on Veterans Day.

The town is donating $10,000 in public money and the land for the project, but private contributions will pay the bulk of the $125,000 cost. Young is helping with that fundraising effort, and said she's already encouraged by the response.

"Every person I've shared this information with in the last 48 hours has been very excited and immediately said, 'Yes, we want to take part, be a sponsor, be a donor,'" she said.

Landscape architect Gary Fankhauser of Viz Designs in Charlotte helped to design the project, which will have a number of components aimed at making it stand out. Matt Glenn, who operates a company known as Big Statues of Provo, Utah, will sculpt a bronze monument to serve as the display's signature feature.

"Their work is nationally renowned, so we're in very good hands from that standpoint," said Cramerton Mayor Will Cauthen.

Cramerton architect Richard Atkinson has also volunteered his time and talents over the years to help the town evaluate potential sites for the memorial.

Telling Cramerton's story

The memorial will include five service pillars paying tribute to each branch of the military. An "Honor Wall" will display the names of about a dozen Cramerton residents who were either killed in action, killed in service, or designated as missing in action from World War I up through the present day.

Additional features will make the plaza even more unique. A second wall will explain the role that "Cramerton Khaki" and local residents played in the World War II effort.

"What we wanted, to be very critical to the success of this, was for it to tell the story of Cramerton," Cauthen said. "Cramerton Army Cloth is something that's long defined our community."

Stuart Cramer, the town's namesake, was responsible for creating Cramerton Army Cloth, which referred to a specific type of weaving that made for exceptionally strong and durable military uniforms. The cloth was heralded by the Army for being so effective during World War II.

Glenn's bronze statues, to be mounted in front of the Honor Wall, will depict a World War II soldier dressed in Cramerton Army Cloth alongside his daughter. It will represent family sacrifice and a sense of pride, as both father and daughter will be saluting an American flag that will fly nearby.

"We really wanted to make that a part of the story, because it wasn't just about the sacrifice of the military," said Cauthen. "It was a community feeling so much pride that they were able to help the war effort by producing something that was desperately needed."

Longtime effort

The establishment of the Veterans Memorial plaza will represent a noteworthy triumph for the town, particularly in light of all the work to bring such a project to fruition.

Just five years ago, the town settled on a plan to construct a veterans memorial in the center of the traffic circle near Stuart Cramer High School. Gaston County Schools agreed to donate land for the venture at what has become a prominent gateway into Cramerton.

"It was a location we liked very much," said Cauthen. "But as we got further into the project, the infrastructure costs just became too significant."

Extending an irrigation system and electric lines to the site, as well as grading the land and carrying out additional aesthetic work, would have sent costs skyrocketing. Engineering estimates put the total tab at more than $400,000, Cauthen said.

Local veterans also provided more feedback and expressed their wishes to have the memorial in a more accessible spot. The traffic circle site would not have allowed room for more than eight or nine parking spaces.

Young said getting feedback from veterans on finding an ideal location, and hearing their satisfaction with the new plan, is gratifying.

"It's exciting any time you get to hear other people's stories and what (the memorial) will mean to them, whether they are a veteran, or someone in their family was, or even if they're just proud to be an American," she said. "People are very quick to tell you what it means to them."

Cauthen said all the hard work of so many people to make the memorial a reality has been worth it.

"So many people donated time and passion and effort to this veterans memorial," he said. "And I want everybody in the community to take pride in this."

You can reach Michael Barrett at 704-869-1826 or on Twitter @GazetteMike.

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(c)2018 Gaston Gazette, Gastonia, N.C.

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