Committee working to complete Mount Olive Veterans Memorial

Duty. Honor. County.

These words are inscribed across the tops of the three stones that make up the Mount Olive Veterans Memorial — stones inscribed with the names of local veterans who died in wars dating back to World War I.

Inscribed on the middle stone is “Dedicated to Area Patriots Who Made the Ultimate Sacrifice for Our Country.”

The memorial, located across West Main Street from Steele Memorial Library, was dedicated on Nov. 10, 2014.

However, the memorial, as originally envisioned, has never been completed and many of those who served on the original memorial committee have since died.

The committee, originally established in May 2012, has not been active in years, but that is about to change following its reorganization, said Steve Wiggins, Mount Olive town commissioner and committee member.

Wiggins said he had attended meetings of Mount Olive VFW Post 9959 where the memorial was discussed.

“They wanted to finish what was started years ago,” Wiggins stressed. “As you probably know there is a long list of people who were originally in that group who have passed on now.

“So the first thing we did was to have a little organizational meeting last week (of Jan. 15). We went over the blueprints and what they want to finish.”

They also brainstormed the names of people they thought could help push the project along, he said.

The estimated cost to complete the project is about $20,000, Wiggins pointed out.

Town Clerk and committee member Sherry Davis is working on getting a price, he said.

“They were talking about different avenues and ways to try and raise money,” Wiggins said. “My thoughts were this, if it is only $20,000, we have traditionally some very generous corporate citizens here in Mount Olive.

“I think we could go a long way by asking them if they would help, and if not, we will figure do we need to have barbecues or raffles or whatever. But this is very doable regardless of the price to finish it.”

Wiggins said he hopes to see the project completed within 18 to 24 months.

That project will include a stone on which the emblems of the six branches of the U.S. military will be displayed — Air Force, Army, Marines, Navy, Coast Guard and Space Force — will be displayed.

On top of the stone will be a bald eagle statue.Another smaller stone will be topped with a larger bald eagle statue.

The stones will face each other across the Walk of Honor.

The project also includes more lighting and replacing wooden benches with stone ones.

“It’d be nice to finish the memorial, but also to kind of pay tribute to these people (committee members) who have passed on,” Davis said. “I think it (bringing the committee back) also was in honor and memory of the ones who worked so hard to do the original (project, but who died) before we could complete it.

“Now, that is my opinion.”

Those members are Ray McDonald Sr., Shelton Blanton, Ruff Huggins, Hugh Oates, Wilbert Martin, Bobby Kelly, Mas Ocamoto, R.E. McCullen, Glenn Sloan, Jim Godwin, Jimmie Davis, Alice Vickory and Bobbie Lee Williams.

The public is reminded as well that pavers are still being sold for the Walk of Honor at the memorial site, Davis said

Currently the costs are: $150 for a 6-inch by 9-inch paver; $350 for an individual’s 9-inch by 9-inch paver and $500 for one with a corporate logo; and $1,000 for a 12-inch by 12-inch paver, adding a small photo costs an additional $178.

However, the committee might have to look at increasing those costs, Davis noted.

For more information, send an email to Davis at secretary@townofmountolivenc.com.

“I can send them a copy of brochure that has the information,” she said.