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Nonprofit looking to expand veterans memorial in Edgerton

Janesville Gazette - 7/14/2018

July 14--EDGERTON -- If Dan Rosenbaum could serve in the Air Force again, he said he would.

Rosenbaum's 14-year career in the Air Force that included service during Operation Desert Storm connects him to an effort to build a veterans memorial in Edgerton.

He is a member of Edgerton WI Veterans Memorial, a nonprofit veterans organization raising money to bring a Veterans Memorial Park to Edgerton.

For the last few years, a number of community members have bounced around the idea of creating a memorial, Rosenbaum said. A committee was formed in 2016, and the nonprofit was formed in 2017.

The memorial would be set in Central Park where a memorial with a canon and rock is currently located, Rosenbaum said. The new memorial would include the canon and rock but would take up more space and introduce more monuments.

The organization needs to raise about $155,000 to build the memorial, which would include monuments, benches, brick pavers and flags, Rosenbaum said.

Money will be raised through donations and sponsorships of pieces of the memorial, Rosenbaum said.

Members want the memorial to honor veterans and educate people about the nation's history, Rosenbaum said. Plaques with information about wars and veterans would be included on the monuments.

The fundraiser kicked off July 4 with an event in the park that included a flyover by Dan Rinehart in his WWII training plane, Rosenbaum said.

One anonymous donor has pledged to match donations up to $15,000, Rosenbaum said.

Rosenbaum was unsure how many donations have been collected.

There is no timeline set on the project, Rosenbaum said. A ground-breaking event will be held once the organization raises $100,000.

Rosenbaum hopes the ground-breaking can happen next spring or summer, he said.

The American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars organizations are helping with the project, Rosenbaum said.

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(c)2018 The Janesville Gazette (Janesville, Wis.)

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