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Display highlights groundbreaking Saturday for Summit County facility
By Linda Golz
Beacon Journal
Published on Friday, Jul 11, 2008
Akron resident Dolan Faber made his way slowly Thursday through two acres of 3-foot-by-5-foot flags on 8-foot poles.
Most of the flags bore the name of current or veteran servicemen and women.
The Field of Honor, located on the future site of Summit County's Veterans Service Commission (VSC) building on East Waterloo Road, just east of Arlington Street, will be on display through 4 p.m. Sunday.
The sight of more than 2,000 flags waving in the breeze was inspiring to Faber, 75, who was wounded in Korea.
''I was wounded about as quick as I got over there, '' Faber recalled. ''A hand grenade went off in front of me.''
He said he was patched up and then sent back into battle.
His wife, Betty, smiled as she showed off his Purple Heart, which she was wearing on a gold chain around her neck.
''I've never seen this many flags,'' said Christa Nelson who is stationed with the Navy in Akron. She and three companions were dressed in their white naval uniforms.
''Oh, it's awesome, it's really cool,'' said her companion Ryan Shebloski, originally from Fort Wayne, Ind. He is also stationed in Akron.
For project manager David Burden, Thursday's setup and opening ceremony wound up being even more emotional than he had expected it to be.
His son, 23-year-old Micah Burden, who serves with the 1st & 26th Army Infantry Unit of the Big Red 1, had shipped out for Afghanistan just hours before the ceremony began.
''He was on the phone saying a prayer with his son,'' who was leaving five days before his scheduled departure, even while he was setting up the field, said VSC Executive Director George Baker.
The tribute to current and former military personnel has more than one purpose, organizers say. It honors the soldiers, helps raise funds to build and maintain memorials throughout the county and will highlight the groundbreaking for the new building at 11 a.m. Saturday.
Burden said more than 30,000 visitors are expected over the weekend to view the flags.
The estimated $2.2 million building is to be completed by next summer. It will replace offices on Park Street.
''With this new building, we'll be able to do so much more,'' Burden said. ''We need the space.''
VCS was established in 1886 to aid veterans upon their return home.
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Linda Golz can be reached at 330-996-3640 or lgolz@thebeaconjournal.com.
Akron resident Dolan Faber made his way slowly Thursday through two acres of 3-foot-by-5-foot flags on 8-foot poles.
Get the full article here.
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