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VALLEY — On Monday, American Legion Post 67 officially dedicated a new World War II Memorial in Veterans Park and started a new tradition of displaying U.S. flags at the four memorials honoring the memory of local soldiers who died in wars to defend our country’s freedoms and our way of life.

The new WW II memorial replaces one that was broken in two earlier this year in an act of apparent vandalism. The Vietnam War monument was also overturned in that same incident but was undamaged. It was put back in place in its original spot.

Metal stanchions have been put in the ground next to the four memorials. The stanchions make ideal places to place the staffs of U.S. flags that can be seen at each marker.

Henry Osborne had the honor of placing the flag at the WW II memorial. A former teacher at Lanett High School, mayor and city councilman in Lanett and a Chambers County commissioner, Osborne is 93 years of age and is an active member of the Lanett Senior Center. When he was 12 years old, his older brother William Osborne was killed in Germany during the last month of the war.

The name William Osborne is one of 72 names on the park’s World War II memorial. There are 14 names on the Vietnam War memorial, six on the one for the Korean War and one on a marker for a local soldier who died in the Afghanistan/Iraq wars.

Post Adjutant Sammy Newton, who served in the Army in Vietnam, placed the flag at the Vietnam memorial. He was joined by 11 local men who went to Vietnam in the 1960s and 1970s.

Two local Korean War veterans, Charles Pigg and Frank Gaither, placed a flag at the Korean War marker, and two local men who served in Operation Desert Storm (1991), Charles Jackson and John Carmichael, placed a flag at the Afghanistan/Iraq memorial. The one local soldier who died in that war, Brandon Hadaway, was killed 18 years ago this week, when the Chinook helicopter he was serving as the crew chief of, was shot  down over Afghanistan on May 30, 2007.

“I hope we never add another name to these monuments,” Post Commander Lanny Bledsoe told a sizable crowd assembled for the Memorial Day program. “It’s gotten to the point where many of us don’t even know anyone who is now serving in the military.”

Bledsoe said he recently talked to a young man who has recently served in Iraq. He was in security detail for the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. “He told me that he had to go on trips almost every day but that they never went the same way two days in a row,” he said. “Any American official in that country is still at risk of being ambushed by insurgents.”

Bledsoe said that Veterans Park with its four monuments is a special place to him. “Places like this should be special to everyone who loves freedom,” he said. “I was five years old and living in River View when World War II started. River View was not a large town, but the war had a deep impact on everyone. A total of 131 men from River View served during the war. Almost everyone in the town had a close family member involved, and everyone worried for their safety all the time.”

Bledsoe said he had an uncle who was involved in the fight for Guadalcanal in the South Pacific. “It went on for months,” he said. “I remember my parents getting a letter from Uncle Owen that was written on toilet paper. I suppose that’s all they had at the time to write on.”

“We need to remember those men for what they did,” Bledsoe said. “We also need to remember all of our veterans. Those who served our country and are with us today I’m sure have lots of stories to tell, and places you went to you will never forget.”

Bledsoe thanked the City of Valley for the good work it does in keeping up Veterans Park and for its help in getting the broken monument replaced.

In speaking on behalf of the city, Mayor Leonard Riley said that Veterans Park is a special place to him as well and that it’s a privilege for the city to maintain Veterans Park as as special place.

“Memorial Day is a time we honor the brave men and women who have given their lives in service to this great nation of ours,” he said, “and it is fitting that we eulogize these brave soldiers here where we are surrounded by monuments honoring those who gave the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country in years past – a true reminder freedom does not come without a high cost.”

Riley added that the U.S. is a nation where freedom rings out loud and clear across a great land. “It’s a sound heard by people from all over the world,” he said. “They are willing to brave incredible hardships and overwhelming obstacles to come to this land where opportunity exists for all, where men are free to pursue their own dreams and where they can provide a better life for their families.”

Riley went on to say that freedom has never come cheaply. “The cost has always been high,” he said. “It is paid for in the blood and lives of those who willingly put themselves in harm’s way to protect our nation and its citizens. As mayor of the City of Valley I stand before you today on Memorial Day 2025 top honor those brave men and women for their dedication, their service and their sacrifice. They are heroes and true patriots. God bless those men and women, their families and may God bless the United States of America.”

In closing, Bledsoe said he wanted to pay tribute to a River View native who did a great job of honoring veterans who have passed away by placing American flags on their graves at Fairview Cemetery in Valley. Jerry Andrews was a veteran himself, having served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War in the early 1950s.

The first flag he placed in the cemetery honored his son Ricky. He started placing more and more flags over the graves of veterans. More than 150 of them can be seen on such holidays as Memorial Day at Veterans Day.

In December 2023, Mr. Andrews passed away at 92 years of age. His grandson, Kendall Andrews, is a member of the Valley City Council and is among family members who want to continue the legacy started by Jerry Andrews. Lots of people look forward to seeing those flags on display as patriotic holidays approach.

The program ended with a moment of silence and Taps being played on a trumpet by recent Valley High graduate Simone Floyd.