Memorial Park memorial: Dickinson tribute to vets to be constructed

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Memorial Park in Dickinson will soon be home to a Stark County Veteran’s Memorial and construction may begin this summer.

Dave Logosz, Vietnam Veteran and Dickinson resident, has spearheaded the project that will be located where the outdoor pool, which was shut down in 2008, is now.

“It was a dream from about 40 years ago when I went to the veteran’s memorial that was dedicated in Washington, D.C.,” Logosz said.

The memorial will consist of a bronze statue and name tablets standing 8 feet tall and 5 feet wide, he said.

“There will be a main tablet that will have the Statue of Liberty on it and all the branches of service,” Logosz said. “Then there will be 10 tablets with all the names of veterans from Stark County chronologically listed all the way from Custer and the Civil War to the future.”

A soldier statue will salute the names on the tablets, he added.

A parking lot, along with a restroom and concessions building will be where the pool is located, Logosz said.

The Dickinson Park Board approved a contract with the North Dakota National Guard, contingent on review by an attorney, Monday. The hope is that the National Guard will be able to level the pool area as a training project, said Mike Lefor, Park Board President.

“At this point we do not have any guard assets allocated to support that request only because the request is still being processed,” said Capt. Dan Murphy, National Guard public information officer.

However, he said it’s a strong possibility the National Guard will be able to help.

“What they’re asking us to do is conduct basically an engineering mission — moving the dirt work, leveling things out — and that is absolutely in line with the engineering assets we have in the western part of the state,” Murphy said. “It fits right in with the war-time mission where you’re building berms … you’re leveling areas to do vertical construction, so that’s where the training comes in. The soldiers get time in the equipment, put hours on the equipment and conduct their training.”

Taking donated work into consideration, Logosz is anticipating the project to cost about $400,000 and hopes it will be completed in about two years.

“The project is really moving along very well,” Logosz said.

Lefor said Memorial Park is “an awesome place” for the memorial.

“We definitely support that,” he said. “We’re thrilled to death. I mean they’re going to take on all that work and beautify the community.”

Visit www.starkcountyveterans.org for donation information or to submit a veteran’s name to appear on the memorial.

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