Statue to be Unveiled at Veterans Plaza in Fort Collins [VIDEO]

A special Veterans Day Celebration is planned at Veterans Plaza in Fort Collins.  A statue will be unveiled in the Plaza that features a soldier with a boy on his shoulder. The ceremony begins on Sunday, November 13th at 1 p.m. at Spring Canyon Community Park.

The Veterans Plaza at Spring Canyon Community Park is a unique, public venue that honors and pays tribute to all US military men and women. The Plaza celebrates the liberties and freedoms that have been protected by our service members and educates our young citizens on the sacrifices and pride that are part of our history.

Highlights of the Ceremony on the 13th include:

• Unveiling of the Statue
• Dedication of the Street into the Plaza for a Fallen Marine
• Initial Raising of the Plaza’s Flags
• Guest vocalist Whitney Hammond to sing the National Anthem.
• Music before and after the ceremony by “Been There, Done That!”
• Military re-enactors of the 9th Infantry Division, with military vehicles
• Flyover by F-16s
• Food, drink and military accessories available for purchase.

Veterans Plaza is at the end of Horsetooth Road, west of Taft Hill St., in Spring Canyon Community Park.

When construction of the Plaza is completed in the Spring of 2012, it will feature:

• Paved walking paths, native rock, shade trees, and an amphitheater with performance stage.
• Flags representing America, Colorado, our country’s military prisoners of war, and members killed in action or missing in action.
• A bronze statue of a soldier holding a young boy on his shoulder, showing him the promise of the future. Smiling, the boy realizes that his freedoms, even the privilege to enjoy the park before him, are a gift from men and women who have served and sacrificed to protect America’s liberties.
• A “Victory Garden” of flowers and plants using soil samples from military theaters and cemeteries around the world where our men and women have fought, served, and died.
• Two stone walls embedded with large LCD monitors: one to continuously scroll the names of veterans --- past and present, and the other to allow visitors to search for information on specific veterans as well as view educational material on victory soils, Living Memorial trees, video clips of veterans from America’s wars and significant donors.

Nominating a Veteran

Any veteran can be honored by having their name listed at the Plaza at no charge. A veteran is someone who served in the United States Armed Forces at any time (currently serving, was honorably discharged, or is retired). The veteran does not have to have served in a war; proof of honorable service must be provided. Nomination forms can be found at VeteransPlazaNoCo.org

The Veterans Plaza Fund is a component fund of the Community Foundation of Northern Colorado.

Watch a video that gives more details on the Veterans Plaza: