MEMORIAL PAYS TRIBUTE TO VETERANS

JACKSON - In July 1991, shortly after Gwen Winningham sold and donated a tract of her land to Jackson for a new city park, she erected a flagpole on a gentle knoll in the park.

To keep from getting her feet muddy when she went to raise the American Flag, Winningham wanted to build a three-foot, concrete circle walkway around the base of the flag pole.

But a member of the Jackson Park Board suggested to Winningham that the new Brookside Park would be an ideal location for a memorial to all veterans, who have served their country since the American Revolution.

"At that time, we had no veteran's memorial in any of our parks," said Winningham, who once owned and operated the Jackson Drive-in Theater. She now operates the Brookside Motel, located on North Hope Street, (Highway 61) near the Sunset Hills subdivision. She lives in part of the motel, which looks out over the new park.

In every sense of the word, Winningham is a true American patriot. She married a U.S. Army logistics officer in England.

She spent much of World War II serving in the Red Cross in London and surrounding area during the Battle of Britain, and before and after the D-Day Invasion of Normandy in June 1944.

To make her dream of a veterans memorial happen, Winningham had to find a sponsor who would assist in planning and help raise the private funding for the memorial. No city, county, state or federal funds were used to build the memorial. All came from private donations and in-kind services.

Help came from Jackson American Legion Post 10495, and its Ladies Auxiliary, of which she is a member. The VFW members enthusiastically adopted the veterans memorial as a project.

Next, Winningham had to find someone who could design and draw up plans for the memorial.

"I went to see (Jackson architect) John Dudley. We drove out to the park and I showed him where the monument was going to be located. I asked John if he could design and prepare plans for the monument. He looked at the site for a minute and said, `I'll do it.'"

A fund-raising campaign began in early 1992, and construction began in phases later that year. The memorial was dedicated on Armed Forces Day in May 1993.

The memorial was built by John Welch Construction Company. Liley's Monument is providing the engraving services.

The members of Jackson VFW and auxiliary are the trustees of the memorial. The board of trustees includes Winningham as its chairman, and vice chairmen, Harlan and Dorothy Siebert. Members of the board are Cecilia Margrabe, Marvin and Maxine Fluegge, Barbara Slinkard, Billie Edwards, Glenn Lohman, and Grace Wille.

The memorial features a series of white stone columns spaced along a walkway that winds down a gentle, rolling hill overlooking the western sky.

At the north end of the walkway are three granite stones that encircle the flag pole. The first stone has engraved on it, "Brookside Park Memorial to Veterans of All Wars, to honor those who put on a uniform and served our country, at home or overseas, during wartime or peacetime.

Engraved in the stone directly below are the four emblems or seals representing the four branches of the American armed forces: the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps.

The second stone is engraved with the first verse of "Taps," and lists the 10 wars fought by the United States since the American Revolution.

The third granite stone has engraved on it a line from John D. McCrae poem, "In Flanders Field the Poppies Grow," and reminds us that we should never forget those American soldiers, sailers, marines and airmen who never came home, but rest in American war memorial cemeteries throughout the world, or in locations known only to God.

Immediately south of the flag pole, and mounted on the east side of the walkway, are a series of black granite monuments on which are engraved the names of the veterans, living and deceased, who have been remembered by family and loved ones. A series white stone columns stand as the west side of an open air chapel.

About 2,300 names are now engraved at the memorial.

Engraving space is still available for most wars, although the area for World War II has been filled. Space is limited for the Civil War.

The cost is $60 per name, and families wishing more information can call 243-7186 or 243-8224 in the evenings.

At night, the flag pole and monument are illuminated by low intensity lighting. It is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Winningham says there are only 10 memorials in the United States that honor both living and deceased veterans of all American Wars, and to her knowledge and research, only the Jackson memorial has the open chapel concept.

She said, "We've had visitors from as far away as Tennessee, Kentucky and Arizona visit the memorial to look at the monument to plan one for them. This monument makes you feel proud, not sad."

Winningham said the time to honor our veterans is now, while they are living.

"These men and women put their life on the line when they put on their uniform, fulfilling their commitment to our country, at home or overseas, in peacetime or during war time. At the same time, this memorial also acknowledges those now active in today's armed forces.

"The least we can do is to say to each veteran, whether past, present or future, is `thank you, We will not forget.'"

Winningham said for Americans to shrug off memorials as unnecessary is to deny recognition of America's history and heritage.

"Each war, each conflict, reflected the thinking of our governing leaders at that period of time; the commitments and policies. The future is based on the past. The wise deployment of our armed forces depends a lot on what we remember and learned from our past involvements," she said.

"A memorial to veterans of all wars -- in war time and peace time -- is a reminder to our leaders to pause and think twice before committing our men and women to the supreme sacrifice."