A new monument that will honor Gulf War veterans will be added to Clarion County Veterans Park next week.
“We have been working on this since last summer,” Clarion County Commissioner Ted Tharan said. “All too often, monuments are erected after the veterans have passed. We felt it fitting that it should be done while many of these veterans are still here.
“We never felt it was proper for the veterans to have to go out and raise the money for their own monument. So, the three (county commissioners) decided to use parks and recreation money to honor those who served.”
The 6-foot-by-7-foot, black granite monument, which is being prepared by Clarion Monuments, will be trimmed with white granite and sit on a bellamy wall. The beveled wall was used during the Gulf War.
Tharan said the goal was to have the monument in place in Clarion by Memorial Day. A formal dedication will be held later this year.
In a related issue, the commissioners donated $5,000 to help the New Bethlehem American Legion fund Veterans Memorial Park.