Guilford County Veterans Memorial, whacked by Tropical Storm Debby, returns to duty Sunday
The Guilford County Veterans Memorial will host its annual Veterans Day program Sunday, three months after a storm damaged parts of the site.
The program will begin at 2 p.m. at the memorial, which is located in Country Park a short walk from the Greensboro Science Center. The event will include a ceremony featuring the N.C. A&T State University U.S. Army ROTC color guard and remarks from U.S. Army Master Sgt. James R. Bavry, a military science instructor at the school.
The event comes almost exactly three months after Tropical Storm Debby created a mess at the memorial, leaving downed trees strewn across the site. Two downed flag poles and crumpled benches were among the most severe damage.
The site is now accessible and clean for the most part, though there are still signs of damage. A small section of stonework was chipped away and some electrical lines used for lighting will need to be replaced.
Orange cones cover the holes for the two fallen flagpoles and the third flagpole left standing sustained internal damage which makes it difficult to raise and lower the flags.
A few of the commemorative bricks which feature names of service members and veterans were damaged. Susan Danielsen, the chair of the veterans memorial committee, said new ones have been ordered.
Danielsen said the damage has provided the committee with an opportunity to look at ways of renovating the 22-year-old site. She said they are working with two local companies, construction manager HICAPS and architecture firm and Lindsey Architecture, on the project.
"We're really excited because we're reimagining this site both physically and philosophically," she said.
Part of that plan includes updating the inscription on the obelisk, which currently reads: "Dedicated to Those Who Served America in the Twentieth Century." Danielsen said they would be adding the words "and beyond" to the end in order to recognize veterans of more recent conflicts.
In an effort to open up the space, the committee is also looking into shortening the wall at the back end of the memorial site which currently features seals of the military branches.
Danielsen said they would look to rearrange those seals elsewhere, potentially on other walls at the memorial.
Other elements of the plan would include placing an array of flags for the United States and military branches in the area by the woods and adding an informational kiosks that could be updated.
"We'd like to have something that is more interactive," Danielsen said. "These panels are wonderful. They're very historical. They teach you a lot but it may not be what precisely that person, that visitor is interested in. So we think a kiosk with some information loaded in it will be very helpful."
Danielsen added they are exploring the possibility of having some sort of military equipment at the memorial site as well.
She said the committee's insurance claim for the storm damage has not yet been finalized as a result of the large number of claims following Hurricane Helene.
While Danielsen said the committee is always accepting donations, she said they are holding off before making a more organized fundraising push for the renovations.
"We want to be able to have a design to show them so that people know what their funds and their very generous donations are going to go for," Danielsen. "So as soon as we have a rendering that will show a new and reimagined place, we'll start fundraising in earnest."
She said the fundraising for the new design would likely start early next year.
