Veterans War Memorial planned for downtown Elizabethton

By Bob Robinson
Star STAFF

   A memorial to honor Carter Countians killed in all wars is being planned for the corner of Elk Avenue and Pine Street in downtown Elizabethton.
   The Elizabethton/Carter County Veterans War Memorial Committee met yesterday to review an architectural rendering of the memorial prepared by Reedy and Sykes Architects, Elizabethton.
   The memorial will feature names of Carter Countians killed (number shown in parenthesis) during World War I (31), World War II (114), Korean War (19), Vietnam (19), Desert Storm (1) and Persian Gulf War (1). The names will be inscribed on granite stones in the circular memorial.
   The Veterans War Memorial Committee, composed of State Sen. Rusty Crowe, State Rep. Ralph Cole, Deacon Bowers, Roy Merryman, Sam Shipley and David Ornduff met yesterday to finalize plans to be presented to Elizabethton City Council tonight.
   The memorial, estimated to cost approximately $75,000, will be financed entirely from donations and in-kind contributions, according to Merryman.
   On July 14, 1997, a group of Korean War veterans met to discuss the possibility of building a memorial for Carter Countians killed in the line of duty. "The idea quickly grew to include all Carter County veterans killed in all wars," Merryman added.
   State Sen. Rusty Crowe said he was glad to be a part of the effort to build the memorial and looked forward to working with the War Memorial Committee, City Council, veterans and residents of Elizabethton and Carter County to make it a reality.