“I was on the USS Cole when it was bombed in port in Yemen. I suffered significant injuries to my leg,” said Purple Heart Recipient Keith Lorensen.
He is a Navy Veteran who was one of 37 sailors injured in a bombing attack on his ship 20 years ago. Seventeen more were killed in that attack. Lorensen was one of many veterans to witness the unveiling of a new Purple Heart Monument. He says it shows how a community feels about its veterans.
Willaim Bull was injured in Vietnam and says the monument is a welcome expression of honor.
“It definitely makes you proud that each community takes care of veterans in their community,” said Bull.
The monument has been more than a year in the making, but organizers say it’s worth the effort.
“It’s a lot of work, but all you have to do is meet just that one guy and you know every second was worth it,” said Steve Guider of the Veteran’s Memorial Initiative.
This is the second monument in the park, but Guider says several more are nearly ready to honor service men and women from different conflicts.
