Bushnell, IL – With American flags flying and a large crowd on hand, Bushnell dedicated a veteran's memorial on November 7.
City Clerk Donna Coates talks a bit about Bushnell's participation in wars in the audio link above.
Coates organized creation of the memorial. She wanted to make sure veterans know they are appreciated.
"We love them," says Coates. "We appreciate our freedom. What they've done for us, their sacrifices."
The memorial includes bricks laid in the ground in front of a stone marker. The marker reads "This memorial is dedicated to all the men and women who served our country in times of war and peace. Home of the free because of the brave."
The bricks contain the names of veterans. Coates says there are more than 500 such bricks in the memorial right now and room for another 1,000. She says most of the vets whose names are on the bricks are from Bushnell.
The project was paid for by selling bricks. Coates says it costs $100 for a two-line brick and $110 for three lines. She says any veteran or veteran's family can buy a brick - they don't have to be from Bushnell. Coates says she appreciates what all veterans have done to protect the nation.