As a community dedicated to the brave men and women who make the ultimate sacrifice to defend our nation, the Brazos Valley has made strides in ensuring the veteran population is honored and remembered.
The area will once again see veterans being honored with the new Never Forget Garden Brazos Valley to be located in Veterans Park at the Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial. The garden is set to create a memorial honoring the missing and unknown service members throughout the country and will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery, Never Forget Garden Vice Chair Vicki Smith-Dicky says.
“We're honored that the Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial Board is allowing our garden to be at Veterans Park because there's a tribute to so many of the various wars that have taken place,” Vicki says. “We hope that when guests are out there visiting those different types of monuments that ours will add to that memory as well.”
The garden will feature a 7-foot granite monument with a laurel wreath, a granite star, and two pedestals recognizing donors. Engraved brick pavers will be around the plaza. The garden will also feature flowers and trees native to the area, handpicked by local gardening clubs.
“If somebody has a loved one in their family that has gone missing unknown, they can go there and reflect on that person — we're hoping it'll create beautiful scenery for them,” Vicki says. “We're going to have native plants and trees in that area as well so it's a nice place for reflection and remembrance.”
Fundraising efforts for the garden are ongoing and to date the organization has raised $110,850, which is a little over halfway to its $200,000 goal.
The garden has had a number of contributing groups involved including members representing local chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Sons of the American Revolution Chapter, A&M Garden Club and other garden groups, veterans, organizations, and numerous individuals.
Donating an engraved brick paver at Veterans Park in the plaza of the special Tomb of the Unknown Soldier/Never Forget Garden Veterans Memorial will be a lasting way to honor family, friends, or other special people or organizations. This opportunity will be available during 2023, but for only a limited time. For more information, send an email to NFG.bvvm@gmail.com.
To learn more about the memorial, visit neverforgetgarden.com.
