Among these is the Fairborn Military Veterans Memorial, consisting of a hexagonal plaza, each side bearing a flagpole flying a flag for each of the six branches of the U.S. Military.
Local military and veterans of each branch stood behind their flag as each was raised for the first time Friday - including two guardians behind the Space Force flag, one active duty, one retired.
“We purposely wanted it that the flags were raised by members of that branch of the service,” said Mayor Dan Kirkpatrick.
It’s estimated that more than 100 people attended the ceremony, Kirkpatrick said.
“It’s very, very exciting,” he said of the park’s opening. “When they first conceived it, they actually thought about making it like any other park...and we said, ‘No, that’s not the intent.’ The intent is to be a memorial park for Fairborn and the Veterans Memorial is a piece of it.”
Additionally, the park contains a memorial honoring late Greene County Sheriff Gene Fischer, and a bubbling fountain dedicated to former Parks & Recreation Director Alicia Eckhart.
Greene County Sheriff for nearly 20 years, Fischer was “a dedicated public servant,” known for his active involvement in the community. He died suddenly in November of 2021.
Eckhart, who served as Fairborn’s parks and recreation director, also died in 2020.
“She was just a bundle of energy, a wealth of knowledge, ideas and innovation, and she played a big part in the park system in Fairborn being as good as it is,” Kirkpatrick said.
Work is not yet completely done at Memorial Park, Kirkpatrick said, adding that plans include a potential installation showcasing Fairborn’s history, as well as improvements to the Veterans’ Memorial itself. The walls around the monument will eventually have more green etched pieces with images of local veterans.
“One of the things that we did differently...a lot of cities will use stock photos,” he said. “We thought, no, Fairborn has got a rich history with the military, with the base. We’ve got a lot of veterans who have gone to very distinguished careers from Fairborn, so our Veterans’ Memorial is really focused on veterans that were here.”
The city’s previous veterans’ memorial had been located on an island in the intersection of Central and Main Street for decades, but was moved after it was damaged multiple times in car accidents.
“As we celebrate our city’s 75th anniversary, this new park stands as a lasting tribute to those who have served with courage, led with integrity, and inspired generations to come,” the city wrote on social media.
A large portion of Memorial Park’s construction cost was funded by Fairborn’s American Rescue Plan Act dollars. In 2022, the city dedicated $500,000 to the park’s construction, of the total $6.8 million the city received from the federal government.
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