Veterans Memorial Museum of Branson

‘They are dedicated to the present day soldier’ By Chris Dunker/Daily Sun staff writer Saturday, May 29, 2010

Motorists traveling northbound on South Sixth Street might have met the gaze of the bronze soldier in mid-stride at Veterans Memorial Park.

The statue, commemorating Beatrice and Gage County’s involvement in World War II, is the latest monument at the park - and just the first in what some community members hope is a long line of sculptures marking the sacrifices given by soldiers for nearly 150 years.

Verdella Vetrovsky, co-chair of the Veterans Memorial Park, said the committee has raised approximately $85,000 for another sculpture to put in the park through grants and other donations and hopes to raise $40,000 more over the next few months.

The committee has put a $50,000 deposit down on a $125,000 sculpture which will depict a male and female soldier fighting during the Gulf War as well as the global war on terrorism.

“They are dedicated to the present day soldier,” Vetrovsky said. Nebraska sculptor Fred Hoppe will create the sculpture from scratch, Vetrovsky added, making the addition to the park “unique.”

“Fred’s a Nebraska native, and he did a wonderful job on the sculpture we have in the park,” Vetrovsky said. “The sculpture he is designing now is one of a kind, that's why the cost is a little bit more because he has to start from scratch.”

Read the rest of the story here:
http://www.beatricedailysun.com/news/local/article_c8593e2e-6ac6-11df-8b2d-001cc4c002e0.html?mode=story

Image provided by Fred Hoppe. The Veteran’s Memorial Park in Beatrice hopes to raise $40,000 to purchase a new sculpture depicting male and female soldiers during the Gulf War and the global war on terror. Nebraska sculptor Fred Hoppe will create the original sculpture from scratch.

Labels: branson attractions, Desert Storm, Gulf war, Veterans