Area residents wanting to honor military veterans have only a few days left to purchase memorial bricks for a planned "Patriots Path" at Woodland Cemetery.

Saturday, July 21, 2001

Area residents wanting to honor military veterans have only a few days left to purchase memorial bricks for a planned "Patriots Path" at Woodland Cemetery.

The Veterans Memorial Committee voted last week to set an Aug. 1 deadline for the first order of bricks – the only order guaranteed to be in place by this fall’s memorial dedication.

The bricks, which can contain a maximum of three lines of 13 spaces per line, will be used to pave a walkway from the cemetery road to the flagpole and Parrott Rifle area of the committee’s veterans memorial. A second, future walkway is planned on the other side.

"The Patriots Path will be a phenomenal part of the memorial project," said Judge Frank McCown, committee chair, adding that names on the bricks will become history. "That’s what makes it a living memorial."

Families of the future will be able to locate their grandparents’ memorial stone and pass along their heritage, McCown said.

The bricks honor veterans of all wars, and can name anyone who has ever served in the Armed Forces, whether in war or not, whether living or dead, he said.

"You can buy them for that great-great-grandfather who served years ago or your mother who served in World War II."

So far, the committee has an order of about 1,300 bricks ready, but anyone may add bricks until Aug. 1.

"If you want to be placed with the first group, get your forms in with the $25 fee by Aug. 1," McCown said.

Bricks may be ordered after Aug. 1, but they cannot be placed on the Patriots Path before the dedication this November.