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We at Reder Landscaping are excited to announce that this week we will begin installing the brick pavers for the newly renovated Midland County Veterans Memorial, which is located in front of the Midland County Courthouse on Main Street.

For those who don’t know, the Midland County Veterans Memorial is considered by many to be one of the nation’s most unique.  The Memorial’s main structure, the World War II monument, owes its origin to local philanthropist Gilbert Currie, who in 1949 offered to build and donate a memorial to honor the 2,371 men and women of Midland County who served in the military during World War II.  This main part of the Memorial was designed by sculptor Rene P. Chabellan, who is best known for his fountain figures at Rockefeller Center in New York City.  Plaques paying tribute to Vietnam and Korean War veterans were later added to the Midland County Veterans Memorial in the 1980s.

The current renovation project is being directed by Steve Tracy, chair of the Midland County Veterans Memorial CommitteeHis efforts began six years ago in order to address some structural issues created by the crumbling limestone at the base of the Memorial.  The plans for the renovation have grown since that time to address the fact that the old Memorial only honored veterans of World War II, and the Korean and Vietnam Wars.  The renovation plan has the World War II monument remaining as the centerpiece, flanked on both sides by plaques honoring county veterans of all wars.  “Each conflict will have its own monument,” Tracy said in an article in the Midland Dailey News. “Our intent is to honor all veterans from Midland County, from the Civil War through the current conflicts.”

A big part of the Veterans Memorial Committee’s efforts has been raising funds for the renovations as well as recruiting the assistance of local companies such as the Dow Chemical Company, McDowell and Associates, HYMMCO, Fisher Contracting, the Bierlein Companies and Gerace Construction.

In May 2013 Reder Landscaping was approached by Steve Tracy to help with the design and installation of the brick pavers, and we are honored to be associated with this great project.  Our father, Walt Reder Jr., who started Reder Landscaping in the 1960’s, was a proud veteran of the U.S. Navy.  Our company and families have always had great respect for those who’ve served our country and protected our freedoms, and we’ve enjoyed great associations with other veteran’s organizations such as Walleyes for Warriors.

So if you’re in the downtown area over the next week or so stop by and visit us and see how the Memorial renovation is progressing.  Also, here’s some ways you can get involved in helping with this great project:

Purchase a Brick

The bricks are available in two sizes: 4-by-8 for $100 and 8-by-8 for $250.  Both can be engraved with messages and will be placed at the site of the Veterans Memorial.  They are a great way for your family to honor the veterans in your life.

Order forms for the bricks can be found on the Veterans Services page of the Midland County website, or by phoning Steve Tracy at (989) 835-3733.

Volunteer

Take a break from your usual routine and be a laborer for a day! If you’d like to help us out by hauling bricks and performing general tasks for the Memorial renovation effort we would love to have you!  Contact Brad Blanchard (ph. 513-0438, bpblanchar@dow.com) or Dave Smigielski (ph. 600-1844, davidsmig@aol.com) to set up a day and time.