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New sculpture at Terry Moehnke Veterans Memorial Park deserves support

FDSH Class of ‘68 is seeking donations

The boy holds an American flag above his head at an angle, with one hand on the flagpole and the other beneath the red and white stripes. Just behind him, a girl stands with one arm outstretched.

That’s the sight that will soon greet visitors to Terry Moehnke Veterans Memorial Park north of Fort Dodge.

The boy, the girl and their flag are the key elements of a new sculpture that will be placed near the site’s parking lot. The kids are nameless for they represent all the children and families of veterans. Military life, with its constant moves, long separations from loved ones and the inherent dangers of being on duty, is tough on the families of soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines. In a park full of markers and monuments, this sculpture will be the one that perhaps most represents the families of service members.

The members of the Fort Dodge Senior High School Class of 1968 are leading the effort to raise the funds needed to pay for this sculpture. That class graduated in the midst of the Vietnam War and includes a large number of veterans. The class members know firsthand about service and sacrifice.

The class has traditionally chipped in to pay for the inclusion of all of their classmates and teachers who are veterans in a special section published each year by The Messenger on Veterans Day. Last year, money left over from that effort was donated toward the purchase of this sculpture.

Now the class is asking everyone in the community to join it in contributing a little bit to pay off the roughly $7,000 cost of the sculpture.

To contribute, visit the class website, fdsh68.com.

By making a donation to this effort, local people can help to make a lasting impact on the park. We encourage those who are able to donate to do so.

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