thedrifter
05-20-07, 08:40 AM
World War II vets honored with Blue Star Memorial
By RICHARD PETERSON
Tribune Staff Writer
The white doves released into the skies of Great Falls during Saturday's dedication ceremony for the Blue Star Memorial at Veteran's Memorial Park took on extra meaning for attendees.
Five of the released birds were in honor of each branch of the United States military; the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard.
But it was the sixth dove that touched the hearts of the 100 people in attendance at the event. Organizers added another dove in memory of Capt. Shawn McCaughey, the Canadian Snowbirds pilot killed Friday when his plane crashed at Malmstrom Air Force Base while rehearsing for a weekend air show in Great Falls.
"As I was tossing the doves, it really brought tears to my eyes thinking about him," said Ramona O'Banion of Fairfield, who released the birds during the dedication ceremony. "It was a nice tribute."
The Blue Star Memorial is a salute to the men and women who served for the United States in World War II between 1941 and 1945, and future veterans as well. The idea for a Blue Star Memorial originated in the 1940s in New Jersey by the state's highway department and the Garden Club of New Jersey.
A memorial was built in Great Falls on Gore Hill in 1953 but it was vandalized two years later and was never replaced.
Great Falls Garden Club co-chairwoman Luana Maxwell conducted research and leg work on the history of the former Gore Hill monument. This year, the Great Falls Garden Club held two fundraisers for a new memorial. The group also obtained a $500 grant for the project.
Ellie
By RICHARD PETERSON
Tribune Staff Writer
The white doves released into the skies of Great Falls during Saturday's dedication ceremony for the Blue Star Memorial at Veteran's Memorial Park took on extra meaning for attendees.
Five of the released birds were in honor of each branch of the United States military; the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard.
But it was the sixth dove that touched the hearts of the 100 people in attendance at the event. Organizers added another dove in memory of Capt. Shawn McCaughey, the Canadian Snowbirds pilot killed Friday when his plane crashed at Malmstrom Air Force Base while rehearsing for a weekend air show in Great Falls.
"As I was tossing the doves, it really brought tears to my eyes thinking about him," said Ramona O'Banion of Fairfield, who released the birds during the dedication ceremony. "It was a nice tribute."
The Blue Star Memorial is a salute to the men and women who served for the United States in World War II between 1941 and 1945, and future veterans as well. The idea for a Blue Star Memorial originated in the 1940s in New Jersey by the state's highway department and the Garden Club of New Jersey.
A memorial was built in Great Falls on Gore Hill in 1953 but it was vandalized two years later and was never replaced.
Great Falls Garden Club co-chairwoman Luana Maxwell conducted research and leg work on the history of the former Gore Hill monument. This year, the Great Falls Garden Club held two fundraisers for a new memorial. The group also obtained a $500 grant for the project.
Ellie