thedrifter
07-31-08, 05:55 AM
Monument's future worries soldier's family
By MELINDA SKUTNICK
Mooresville Tribune
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
A downtown monument to U.S. Marines killed in a 1983 terrorist attack in Beirut, including Lance Corporal Timothy McNeely of Mooresville, will be relocated from John Franklin Moore Park to the town’s War Memorial building -- to the dismay of McNeely’s family.
October will mark the 25th anniversary of the Beirut barracks bombing that killed hundreds of servicemen, the majority of whom were U.S. Marines. Following the incident, McNeely’s family and others across North Carolina sponsored the purchase of a monument honoring 21 soldiers who died in Lebanon in 1983 and 1984.
“Lest we forget that peace has a price,” reads the monument, which was erected in the small park between Main and Broad streets, on downtown's south end.
And as the anniversary of this event nears, discussion of moving the monument from its current location to the War Memorial recreation center on Maple Street -- where it will eventually become one of several tributes to Mooresville-area veterans and active-duty soldiers -- has created anger within the McNeely family.
“Why change something that’s that set in stone?” said McNeely’s sister, Vickie Brawley.
“It was something that was dedicated in honor and in memory and with a lot of emotion, and to try and change it just throws me into an emotional loop because I don’t know how to deal with it.”
Brawley and her mother, the last two surviving members of McNeely’s immediate family, heard about the monument’s relocation as the result of a misunderstanding, said Brawley. If the “accidental phone call” had not occurred, Brawley said she and her mother might still be in the dark about the move.
“If they move it, we have to accept it and we have to go on,” Brawley added, noting nobody has contacted her family with information concerning the monument. “If they decide to do it, I’ll hate it for the rest of my life and I’ll never forgive the people on these committees.”
As part of the continuing construction on John Franklin Moore Park, the Mooresville Beautification Committee decided upon creating the park’s design to relocate the Beirut monument to the War Memorial building where it will become a piece of a planned Veterans Memorial Serenity Garden, said Beautification Committee Chairman Joe Cullen.
“Somewhere down the road, it will probably move,” said Cullen.
“Most people that live here … don’t know anything about the memorial,” he added, noting that the Serenity Garden will provide visitors with the “back story” about the monument and who it honors.
“It will be alongside the other memorials that will be in the Serenity Garden” which will be located adjacent to the War Memorial facility on Maple Street, Cullen mentioned.
Cullen said that unfortunately, the McNeely family was “caught off guard” when told about the relocation because the speed in which the park’s construction began overran plans to discuss the move with the McNeelys.
“When we’re finished (with the garden), I think the family will be very pleased,” he said.
Brawley and her mother, however, are not as confident.
“That monument has sat there untouched, not vandalized or anything, for 25 years,” Brawley said. “It breaks my heart that they want to move it to the War Memorial where it will be surrounded by kids and all.”
Brawley’s fears of the monument being damaged or forgotten at its new location have created mistrust in the town, she noted.
“How disrespectful, how rude, how horrible of the town. Is that what our town has come to?” said Brawley about the decision to move the monument without officials contacting the family for their input.
“It’s so disheartening for us.”
With several parents of the monument’s deceased also departed, Brawley said the memorial cannot be rededicated with the same emotion and love as it originally was.
“You couldn’t rededicate another monument and have it the same because the people that put their heart into it are gone.”
Claiming that others feel the same concern for the monument’s relocation, Brawley expressed worries over a safe move, which, said Cullen, would be at the MBC’s expense to diminish the likelihood of damage.
“If and when it is moved, we’ll hire a professional crew to move it,” he said. “The whole (garden) is to take the men and women from Mooresville and this region and honor them for the supreme sacrifice.”
As park construction moves into the second phase, which will be completed around the end of August, the monument’s removal and relocation will occur when the Serenity Garden is ready to be constructed “some time this fall,” Cullen noted.
He added, “It will be done in a very tasteful, respectful manner. It’s going to be a project that the community will be proud of.”
Ellie
By MELINDA SKUTNICK
Mooresville Tribune
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
A downtown monument to U.S. Marines killed in a 1983 terrorist attack in Beirut, including Lance Corporal Timothy McNeely of Mooresville, will be relocated from John Franklin Moore Park to the town’s War Memorial building -- to the dismay of McNeely’s family.
October will mark the 25th anniversary of the Beirut barracks bombing that killed hundreds of servicemen, the majority of whom were U.S. Marines. Following the incident, McNeely’s family and others across North Carolina sponsored the purchase of a monument honoring 21 soldiers who died in Lebanon in 1983 and 1984.
“Lest we forget that peace has a price,” reads the monument, which was erected in the small park between Main and Broad streets, on downtown's south end.
And as the anniversary of this event nears, discussion of moving the monument from its current location to the War Memorial recreation center on Maple Street -- where it will eventually become one of several tributes to Mooresville-area veterans and active-duty soldiers -- has created anger within the McNeely family.
“Why change something that’s that set in stone?” said McNeely’s sister, Vickie Brawley.
“It was something that was dedicated in honor and in memory and with a lot of emotion, and to try and change it just throws me into an emotional loop because I don’t know how to deal with it.”
Brawley and her mother, the last two surviving members of McNeely’s immediate family, heard about the monument’s relocation as the result of a misunderstanding, said Brawley. If the “accidental phone call” had not occurred, Brawley said she and her mother might still be in the dark about the move.
“If they move it, we have to accept it and we have to go on,” Brawley added, noting nobody has contacted her family with information concerning the monument. “If they decide to do it, I’ll hate it for the rest of my life and I’ll never forgive the people on these committees.”
As part of the continuing construction on John Franklin Moore Park, the Mooresville Beautification Committee decided upon creating the park’s design to relocate the Beirut monument to the War Memorial building where it will become a piece of a planned Veterans Memorial Serenity Garden, said Beautification Committee Chairman Joe Cullen.
“Somewhere down the road, it will probably move,” said Cullen.
“Most people that live here … don’t know anything about the memorial,” he added, noting that the Serenity Garden will provide visitors with the “back story” about the monument and who it honors.
“It will be alongside the other memorials that will be in the Serenity Garden” which will be located adjacent to the War Memorial facility on Maple Street, Cullen mentioned.
Cullen said that unfortunately, the McNeely family was “caught off guard” when told about the relocation because the speed in which the park’s construction began overran plans to discuss the move with the McNeelys.
“When we’re finished (with the garden), I think the family will be very pleased,” he said.
Brawley and her mother, however, are not as confident.
“That monument has sat there untouched, not vandalized or anything, for 25 years,” Brawley said. “It breaks my heart that they want to move it to the War Memorial where it will be surrounded by kids and all.”
Brawley’s fears of the monument being damaged or forgotten at its new location have created mistrust in the town, she noted.
“How disrespectful, how rude, how horrible of the town. Is that what our town has come to?” said Brawley about the decision to move the monument without officials contacting the family for their input.
“It’s so disheartening for us.”
With several parents of the monument’s deceased also departed, Brawley said the memorial cannot be rededicated with the same emotion and love as it originally was.
“You couldn’t rededicate another monument and have it the same because the people that put their heart into it are gone.”
Claiming that others feel the same concern for the monument’s relocation, Brawley expressed worries over a safe move, which, said Cullen, would be at the MBC’s expense to diminish the likelihood of damage.
“If and when it is moved, we’ll hire a professional crew to move it,” he said. “The whole (garden) is to take the men and women from Mooresville and this region and honor them for the supreme sacrifice.”
As park construction moves into the second phase, which will be completed around the end of August, the monument’s removal and relocation will occur when the Serenity Garden is ready to be constructed “some time this fall,” Cullen noted.
He added, “It will be done in a very tasteful, respectful manner. It’s going to be a project that the community will be proud of.”
Ellie