Grafton City Council approves commission for Veterans Memorial Project

By Editor | December 28, 2022 |

At its regular meeting on Dec. 20, the Grafton City Council unanimously approved Mayor Mike Morrow’s proposed Commission that will explore the feasibility of creating a national Veterans Memorial in Grafton to honor all who have served and are serving our great country.
The 20 commissioners will collectively provide direction, guidance, and oversight to the entire project from initial layout and contest design to the selection and implementation of the winning designs.
“We are excited to actually get this project moving,” said Mayor Morrow. “We have a robust Commission comprised of highly qualified and enthusiastic people.”
The centerpiece of the Grafton Memorial would be a life size WWII reenactment in metallic figures of the U. S. Army Rangers climbing the Pointe Du Hoc cliffs at Omaha Beach (part of the initial D-Day landings on June 6, 1944) and using the limestone bluffs near the Grafton Visitor’s Center to replicate the cliffs of Normandie, France.
Located on the Great River Road in Grafton, this monument would quickly become a national attraction for the tourism industry, according to a release from the City of Grafton, bringing thousands of visitors to the region by bus, boat, motorcycle, and car.
The following people have been appointed by the City Council to serve as members of the Veterans Memorial Commission;
■ Mike Morrow – Mayor
■ Ben Goetten – State’s Attorney, Jersey County
■ Cory Jobe – President & CEO, Great Rivers & Routes
■ Colin Wellenkamp – Executive Director, MRCTI
■ Ben Allen – Grafton Businessman
■ Eric Spanton – Grafton Police Chief
■ Alan Gilmore – Economic Development
■ Jim Curry – Director of Capital Projects, Principia
■ Richard Flowers – Vietnam Veteran & Current Adjutant, American Legion Post 648
■ David Hand – Alderman oversight on Grafton Veterans Committee
■ Brian ‘Sonny’ McDonald – Grafton Veterans Committee – Marine Corps Veteran
■ Scott Manning – Grafton’s Veterans Committee – Air Force Veteran
■ Gary Hayes – Vietnam Veteran
■ Dan Bechtold – Vietnam Veteran
■ Peggy O’Neil – City Administration Manager
■ Gray McGee – Veteran Western Military Academy
■ Ralph ‘Bo’ Jackson– Veteran Western Military Academy
■ Charles ‘CB Jackson’– Veteran Western Military Academy
■ Christine Robertsen – Liaison, Omaha Beach, France
■ Lynne Morrow- Coordinator with Christine Robertsen, Liaison/Omaha Beach, France
The Commission will serve as an advisory group—gathering, providing, reviewing, and ranking ideas and proposals for the memorial. They will provide direction, guidance and oversight for any efforts as well as periodically brief the City Council on their progress. The City Council will have the final approval on any recommendations for action.
The Commission will periodically provide updates for the City Council on their progress.