The issue:A higher price tag for restoration of the Cass County Roll of Honor has led supporters of the project to launch a new fundraising effort.
Our view:This is a worthwhile endeavor that the community should support.
The Cass County Veterans Council needs your help in restoring the Roll of Honor monument in downtown Logansport. Built in 1945 in front of the City Building, the monument is a tribute to the Cass County men and women who served in World War II. Time, though, has taken its toll on the structure. The foundation cracked causing it to settle to one side, and the sun faded many of the nameplates.
Working with the Cass County Roosters, the council initially raised more than $23,000 for the project, but the cost of new nameplates came in much higher than anticipated, basically doubling the price of the project.
As a result, the veterans council has launched a new fundraising campaign scheduled to run through Memorial Day. Fundraising efforts will include radio ads, news releases and donation jars at area events such as Pioneer Days in Royal Center. The council is also awaiting approval to stage a roadblock in front of the monument at Sixth Street and Broadway.
In the meantime, members of the Roosters have agreed to help with the work needed to demolish a portion of the existing monument, and the city has offered use of a truck to haul away the debris. That work is now set to begin March 6.
The veterans council has secured a bid of $8,000 for tearing out the monument’s foundation and pouring a new one. It plans to seek bids for rebuilding the monument this week.
The council hopes at least to have the monument rebuilt this year. Whether it can replace the nameplates will depend on the success of its fundraising effort.
This is a monument to individuals who laid their lives on the line in defense of the freedom we enjoy today.
If you have the means or the energy, it’s a project worthy of your support.
— The Pharos-Tribune, Logansport, and the Kokomo Tribune
Want to help?
Anyone willing to donate money or volunteer their skills for the Roll of Honor project can do so by calling Cass County Veterans Council president Jeff Mercier at 765-210-1071. Donations can also be mailed to the Cass County Veterans Council, Attn: Roll of Honor, P.O. Box 87, Royal Center, IN 46978.
