Veterans from across Jefferson County staged a protest to voice concern over recent actions by the county’s board of commissioners.
The commissioners, after hearing the veterans’ protests over the halt in funding for a memorial to the county’s service members killed in action, agreed to restore funding.
The protest began on the lawn of the Jefferson County Courthouse, which is designated as a memorial park.
“This was presented to the board of commissioners as a three-year project. The first year was to raise the marker for the county residents who were killed in action during World War II,” Herb McConnell, a member of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 204, told the commissioners. “The second year was a marker for those who were killed in action during Korea and Vietnam, and the third marker was for those killed in the Gulf War and the Cold War.”
He said the veterans appreciate the county’s funding of the marker for the World War II veterans killed in action.
“The use of the Marcellus Shale Legacy fund for this venture was appropriate, as money from that fund may only be used for specific projects,” McConnell said. “The agreement between the various veterans’ organizations and the board of commissioners was done with a handshake. The veterans felt no formal agreement was necessary.”
“This is a countywide project intended to honor service members from across this county who had given their lives for our nation,” he said. “We ask the board of commissioners to reconsider the decision not to fund this project as originally agreed.”
Jefferson County Commissioner Jack Matson told the veterans that the second and third years of the monument project would be fully funded.
“Our second issue is to voice our concern over the resignation of Veterans Affairs Director Krupa Steele,” McConnell told the commissioners.
Matson said the veterans would have input into the selection of the next Jefferson County Veterans Affairs director.
“Our goal is to give the veterans what they deserve,” Matson said. “They want stability in that office, and I couldn’t agree more. We need someone who knows what they are doing.
“None of the commissioners are veterans, and we don’t know how to run that office. I hope we can get a group to help us run that office. I hope they will give us an opportunity to do that.”