Northeast Montana Veterans Memorial Founders Mark 10 Years

The 10-year anniversary of the construction of the Northeast Montana Veterans Memorial Park was marked over the holiday weekend in Fort Peck.

A crowd of veterans’ families, memorial organizers and well wishers enjoyed a sunny Saturday morning at the south end of the intersection that serves as the memorial site and roundabout.

Don Fast was master of ceremonies at the July 4 event. Annika Smith performed the National Anthem and Art Wildhalm delivered the Pledge of Allegiance.

Distinguished speaker Johnathan Wiens gave a talk on themes of patriotism and the bonds of service.

Several Gold Star Families who have lost loved ones during active duty were recognized, as were individuals key to creating and maintaining the park, such as Art Widhalm, Don Fast, Steve Page, Tom Markle, Jim Rector, Les Scanlan, Darren Rummel, Don Baker, Tracy Stone, Aaron Flint and project historians Dale and Karen Bender.

The site was dedicated on Memorial Day 2014 and earth was moving by May 2015. The opening ceremony for the memorial was held July 4, 2016.

The site includes a bald eagle sculpture by artist Mike Curtis, a sculpture of a bugler by Harvey Rattey and Pam Haar and several benches and plaques, as well as more than 1,200 individual tiles bearing the names of veterans from all military branches who enlisted out of this region.

For more information about the memorial site, visit veteransmt.org.