(KNSI) – A monument proposed for St. Cloud will be the first of its kind in the country.
Disabled American Veterans Chapter 9 President Mike O’Donnell tells KNSI no other DAV location has such a tribute. He stresses that the monument has been designed to be permanent.
“Now there’s places like our headquarters down in Kentucky that has bricks on the ground. The nice thing about this monument, you don’t walk on the names, and the wind doesn’t sandblast the names off. These are on granite on a wall. That’s not going to be susceptible to that.”
The granite slab will be put up at VFW Post 428 off Division Street. Any veteran, regardless of when they served, as long as they were honorably discharged, is eligible. The cost is $130 per person. O’Donnell says the cost will fund the monument and the chapter’s operations.
“We don’t own the money. We collect it and we disperse it back out for assistance for people that need it. So, any of these extra monies that come in, over and above, after the project is paid for, is going to do just what I said: assist veterans.”
O’Donnell points out that the green DAV bins around town where people can donate clothing bring in about $90,000 in merchandise per year. DAV fills many roles but perhaps the most high-profile is helping veterans get to their medical appointments.
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