The evening of Nov. 21, 2023 at sunset, a memorial unveiling ceremony was held in the courtyard on the south side of the Calhoun County Building in Marshall, Mich. The new memorial depicts seals from every branch of United States military and stands behind a repositioned bench that recognizes veterans in Calhoun County who have served in the armed forces. In attendance at the ceremony were members of the Calhoun County Veterans Affairs Committee, which supported the monument, as well as staff from the Calhoun County Veterans Affairs Department, County Administration, and County Maintenance who assisted with installing the memorial. The memorial was paid for through a combination of the County General Fund budget and the Veterans Millage.
The bench in front of the memorial previously sat on the west side of the building and was installed in 1975, and this year it was placed in the primary courtyard of the building after restoration. As pictured, these monuments for Calhoun County veterans sit in front of the American Flag, as well as green lights that illuminate the County Building to recognize Veterans throughout the month of November. Read the press release about Operation Green Light for Veterans.
"As a collective effort, we agreed to move the memorial from the west side of the building to this courtyard. It has stood for nearly 50 years as a testament to our commitment to veterans and will continue to be a testament for another 50 years and more," said Calhoun County Veterans Affairs Director Aaron Edlefson.
The ceremony included the Pledge of Allegiance led by a member of the Veterans Affairs Committee and remarks from Calhoun County VA Director Edlefson, as well as Assistant Administrator Brad Wilcox who managed the installation of this memorial in the courtyard. The courtyard was newly installed in 2018 after the demolition of the previous jail and recognized for beautifying the building; this memorial completes the construction of the courtyard.
"It takes a bunch of folks with good hearts and intentions to pull off this restoration and installation. I'm proud of everyone here who helped to make this possible," said Assistant Administrator Wilcox. "This memorial is now the focal point of this courtyard."
