Several hundred area residents attended a dedication ceremony Saturday for the new Rochelle Veterans War Memorial.
Following several years of planning, the memorial is located at the Lawnridge Cemetery off 8th Avenue.
The guest speaker was 1 of the organizers of the memorial, Pal Colwill of Rochelle. He said if it wasn't for Mayor Chet Olson along with other city officials, this ceremony would not have taken place for another 2 years.
Colwill said he has not heard 1 negative comment about the project and that the memorial is not completed. They hope to have a garden around the bricks in the future.
Despite not being a veteran, he said this memorial is very special for him. 1 of the bricks is for his father who was in World War I. Colwill said that the memorial is to honor the sacrifise all men and women in the military make in the past and present.
Also speaking during the ceremony was Hugh McDermitt from the American Legion. He said that these veterans are worthy of far greater recognition than words or these markers. The sacrifices they made and the deeds they performed shall be written in history and shall remain alive in our memories for generations to come.
Area residents can still purchase a brick for the Rochelle Veterans War Memorial at the local VFW Post 3878.
The ceremony ended with the playing of the National Anthem.