Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Quad City Forum, a weekly community service program
produced by iHeartMedia to look at the issues and opportunities
that exist in our community. Now here's your hosts for
a Quad City Forum, Pat Luke and Denny Linnhowe.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
We have Roger grand Boys on the phone today talking
about Veterans Memorial Park, which there are four parks right
along the Mississippi River. This is probably one of the
newer ones looking for a landmark. It's the three flagpoles
that really kind of distinguishes it from maybe some of
the other parks. And Roger this particular park is it's
(00:39):
been an interesting little path its life has It's not
been a straight line, but it's been a line that
is consistently the arrow is pointing up towards what's being accomplished.
And when we talk about a city park, this, yeah
is getting help from the city, but a lot of this.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
Friends of Veterans Memorial Park Org. And yeah, we actually
are a team of former veterans, or not former, we
are veterans. Our mission basically is simple that we want
to do as much as we can to promote the park,
enhance the items that are available to see at the park.
(01:20):
You had mentioned the three poles, the flagpoles. There's a
whole lot more now than just the flagpoles that were
actually placed, I believe in twenty eleven when we dedicated
the park very early on. Now there's a forty four
mural that was created by one of our Davenport residents.
It's at the park. We have flags for all of
(01:42):
the service branches, including Space Force. We have a bugler
who now is fully functional and lit at night and
plays three times a day, toots his horn, and we
are now in competition with to Rock Island Marshal.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
Roger because if you're a bugler, at some point you
have to toot your own horn.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
You have to toot your own horn. As this is
not a live person. It actually is one step above
the battery operated horns that a lot of the veterans
groups use at memorial services or funerals. And it's not
to take away from that importance. It's just that this
is a This is a bronze statue, sits upon a
(02:28):
platform that three times a day he is programmed to
toot his horn. In the morning at seven o'clock he'll
play Reveale, then at noon he'll play the national anthem,
and at nine o'clock in the evening he'll play reveale.
And then there's also along with those three, there's a
way for us to activate an automated program that we
(02:51):
can at any time press a button and it'll play
a medley of the service branch's anthems and some other
little ditties. But it lasts about fifteen minutes.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
For people that are just at the park at any
one of those times, maybe if they tied it out
or not. What a all inspiring thing. What just has
chills in the back of my spine just thinking about
being there when the bugler starts.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
Yeah, you're exactly right. You know, you're standing up there
at seven o'clock in the morning or nine o'clock in
the evening and you start hearing that it's going to
be a little spine tangling.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Well, and again going back to the bugler and having
the statue that all costs money.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
Yeah, the bugler alone is a five thousand dollars item.
And we've got three more bronze statues that are going
to be placed in the very near future. I won't
go into detail, but they're five thousand to eight thousand dollars.
Also because one of them is a dual statue, it's
a soldier carrying a wounded soldier, so and again.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
And that's where you're and you're trying to make sure
that you your organization can help make that work and
keep itself sustaining because we're talking about the different phases
that this park has gone through, and we're kind of
I don't know where we're at now. We phase one
into phase two.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
Say Phase one, I would say is the twenty eleven
up until twenty twenty two. In twenty twenty two, I believe,
we started Phase two, which is the mural, the Bugler
and all that the flags and all the plaques that
identify the branches of the service and also different conflicts
(04:35):
or wars that America is involved in. So that's fants two,
and we had a ribbon cutting ceremony on November second,
I believe, I think it was twenty twenty three that
we had the ribbon cutting ceremony and it went very
very well. So now we're into phase three, which involves
our big project, and that's called our Commemorative Memorial brick project.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Tell us about that whole what we're going to be
able to see when it's fully completed down there.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
At the park. Okay, So the commemorative brick part is
actually a project that was kind of dreamed of at
the ribbon cutting ceremony in twenty twenty three, and it's
actually was brought to our attention by mister Lyle Peterson
who was a member of our committee, and he was
basically in charge of getting donations, you know, going to
(05:24):
companies and help raise funds. So Lyle has since passed
away rests soul, but he started a really good project,
got us all involved. And so basically what the bricks
are is.
Speaker 4 (05:38):
You buy a far by.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
Eight inch paper brib could be a red paper brick.
They're not going to go on the ground there. We
are building two A frames to handle the bricks that
we've got so far. So far we've got one A
frame bricks sold for one of the A frames. We're
working on the second one now. So each A frame
holds two hundred and eighty eight bricks. So if we
have to in the future expand that we will, but
(06:04):
right now we're sticking with the two. So basically, through
a donation of one hundred dollars, you can purchase a brick.
It doesn't have to be from for a deceased service member,
just anybody who served in the any branch of the
Armed Forces, including merchant Marines, Coastguard, Space Force as well.
We don't have any bricks from Space Force yet.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
Well that's relatively new, but eventually we'll see some more
people want to chime in on that for sure. But
what do you have.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
We have two bricks. They are from brothers from the
Civil War. They both served in the I think it
was twenty second Iowa Infantry and they actually thought that
the Battle of Vicksburg. One of them died at the
Battle of Vicksburg. And so we have two Civil War
veterans bricks on there. We have World War One veterans,
(06:53):
we have World War II Korea, Vietnam, and Afghan and
Iraq conflicts. So we covered it all. In fact, one
of our veterans that we actually the Friends Group paid
for his brick was a World War Two decorated veteran.
He was a Marine veteran just turned one hundred years old.
(07:16):
We had a party for him one hundred years of
life and also his service in World War II at Okinawa.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
And I would gather too, Roger that even if by
chance you were serving and it was peacetime, the brick still,
whatever the case, gets your brick up there so that
family and friends and even the VET themselves can go
out there and look and look what I did. Everybody
kind of coming together. We had brought this phrase up
a lot of times in the past with any of
(07:47):
the interviews that we have on the quad Citi Forum,
where it takes a village. In this particular case, it
takes the military to raise a village sometimes.
Speaker 3 (07:56):
And we can have a battalions.
Speaker 4 (07:58):
Yeah, there we go.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
That's that's what will kind of accustomize this for Since
we have a finite space there, better hurry because if
you want to be a part of one of those
two A frames, you've only got just a few bricks
left before they complete the second A frame.
Speaker 3 (08:15):
Exactly. The A frames are actually being built by the
students at Davenport West High School and their instructor, Andy's
in and he's in also has an uncle that was
a Vietnam Kia and his brick is also on the wall.
If they're being built right now, they should be within
the next month or two placed at the park. They're
(08:37):
going to be behind the bugler statue, and like I said,
there'll be two A frames, and there will also be
a compass on the ground between the two A frames.
The compass is going to have if you know what
the praying soldier looks like, you'll see him kneeling down
with the rifle and the boots on top of the rifle,
(08:59):
and then that will be in the between the two
A frames. Needed a It sounds silly, but we needed
a compass right there because when you're down there standing
in that part of the the river, the river actually
runs east and west and not north and south like
most people think the Mississippi runs. So we needed a
(09:22):
compass to identify the directions because on a locator service
that I built, it actually will identify the two different
A frames as the South A frame and the North
A frame, which the South will be closest to the river,
in the north closest to the city. So people will
(09:42):
actually be able to identify the A frames just by
the compass. You know which one we're talking about.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
And this brings up another point here when you talk
about the locator and even though we'll probably with the interview,
I don't want to stumble you. I don't want to
hold this up here. But there is a way for
people if they want to find certain bricks. Isn't there
a locator set up at the website that you designed? There?
Speaker 3 (10:09):
There is, It's on It's available from the link from
a link on the actual application for a brick you
put the donor puts his name in, and then puts
the veteror's name in. But I don't have it. I
haven't advertised it as yet available to the public. But
(10:30):
there's no reason that somebody couldn't, you know, if they
hear about it, they can go to the brick application
that that entices them to maybe apply for a brick.
Right but at the top of the at the top
of the page, there's a couple of graphics. One of
them shows the positioning of where the walls are going
(10:50):
to be the a frames are going to be placed,
and right next to that there's a couple images of
people like silhouette type people that are pointing to bricks
on the There's a little bit of a verbiage right
below that. It says, your search results will indicate which
of the four walls they can find their brick and
the word search that just the word itself is hyperlinked
(11:14):
and it will take you to the locator app that
I built.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
For that's a that's a great thing. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
There will also be QR codes at each of the
walls down at the display and so people will be
able to just point their phone and then that that
application will pop right up on their phone while they're there.
So that's great. Make it easy.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
Now. Now for people that want to purchase a brick,
they can do that with PayPal and what where can
they find that at and what are the It's a
fairly easy process. At least I got to the purchase
the brick on PayPal, and they'll be able to use
different to different cards to be able to make the purchase.
And it's one hundred dollars. But why don't you you
(11:58):
tell them that process?
Speaker 3 (12:00):
Sure? Okay. So the website address is f o v
MP dot org, which is Friends of Veterans Memorial Park.
We are we are in, for the lack of a
better word, cahoots with the City of Davenport on everything
that happens down at the park, everything that's placed there,
(12:23):
every decisions that are made. We have members and high
members of the Davenport Park System on our team and
so we coordinate with a Davenport on a monthly basis,
we have a meeting. So basically the f o v
MP dot org will bring you to the base website
(12:46):
and from there you can get hurtinent information from the site,
different tabs and stuff to go to different areas. But
on on the top of the page there's a there's
a yellow rectangle that says per this brick with PayPal,
so people would click on that. Then at the top
of that form you could you add your personal information
(13:08):
so if we have questions, we can contact you and
make sure that you know you're getting the right MOMY
information on the brick. So then below the donor contact
information we have the actual area for the veterans information.
We have several designs for service branch logos and flags
(13:31):
and things that people can use as clip art. And
that the clip art part is an important part because
if you use if you select clip art for your
brick along with the three lines of veterans information, that
reduces the three lines of veterans information by five spaces
on each one. We have some requirements by the engraver
(13:54):
that there can be no more than twenty characters on
each one of the lines. So if you don't don't
want clip art, that's fine. That gives you five more
characters per line. So that's just that's only available on
the online version. I've got some safeguards in there that
won't let you add information that you know over the
(14:17):
twenty space limit. So having said that, there are two
places on that form. One at the top it says
I if you prefer to mail your application or donation,
click here. That will bring you to a PDF file
that you can actually fill out on your computer and
print it and send it through the mail, and we
(14:38):
give the mailing address. So there's several ways that you
can apply for a brick.
Speaker 2 (14:43):
That's fantastic. And again to find out a little bit more,
I think the website is is fantastic, gives you kind
of a rundown of phase one and two and into
phase three of what's happening down at the park. But
if they want to find out more, I think it's
it's great to give the acronym for the Friends of
Veterans Memorial Park again, and I would gather there's also
(15:07):
something similar on Facebook or some of the socials, But
just so people can find out a little bit more.
Give that website again.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
Yeah, the website is f o VMP dot org and
we also have a Facebook link on the site. So
we do have a Facebook page, and there's what we
call a site quick guide link that will actually allow
you to go to several different places on the website
to navigate the site. And we have a donate button
(15:39):
that will take you to if you want to if
you want to, they're both PayPal and if you want
to do it just a personal donation, you can do
that without buying a brick. There's also the link for
the brick donation. So basically it's a simple acronym, like
you said, for the website, and that's pretty self intuitive
on functionality and to follow. If it's not, please let
(16:02):
me know. You can contact me from the website or
the Facebook page and I can you know, find out
what we can do to make it better for you.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
Well that's Roger. That's the voice of Roger grand Boys,
who again is not to toot your own horn as
we bring back the boogler the bugler again. But you
really designed a lot of this website and it really
seems like it's a great job that you've done. I
know you're not the only one that's part of this
whole thing, but again.
Speaker 3 (16:34):
We have a team. Yeah, I'm the one that's basically
in charge of the Brick Project. I'm also on the
committee for all the other stuff that we're bringing in,
but this Brick project. I was asked by mister Rle
Peterson to be a part of this because he knew
that I had website experience, web building experience through my
(16:59):
career at the Rock Eye Arsenal, and I've also done
several community commercial websites here in the Quad Cities. And
I also have been involved with the Vietnam Veterans Organization
for a long time too, probably about thirteen or fourteen
years ago. I built a online auction for the Vietnam
(17:24):
Veterans and that went really, really well, and so Lyle
knew it. Lyle was a big help to me in
that process, and so we were the ones going out
doing the footwork, knocking door to door and getting donations
and then putting them on this auction site. So he
knew I had a lot of experience, and so he
asked me to join the Brick Project, and so I
(17:48):
did and built the site, built the Brick site built
the locator part of it. So yeah, I have done
a lot of it, but there's a lot of people
in the background that are all part of this.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
Well, like you said, takes a battalion, right, it does.
Speaker 3 (18:04):
It does the City of Davenport. The mayor is involved.
The mayor is on our committee, the several high level
park officials are on the committee. The design person Zach
Peterson uh from Davenport Park Sea's basically helps us design
and let us know where the appropriate place to put
(18:25):
the next design feature into the into the park.
Speaker 2 (18:31):
Well, we know we're into phase three right now and
moving forward when if there are other phases, it's going
to be great to be able to see the progress.
And it's just another It just seems awe inspiring to
be able to get down there at the right time,
to be able to enjoy just the bugler sound.
Speaker 3 (18:51):
Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
Now.
Speaker 3 (18:53):
Now, the project, the brick project is our big money
razor right now. For every it's you'd think that one
hundred dollars there is a lot to pay for a brick,
but you got to remember you're doing it for You're
buying something that's permanent, for a loved one that's going
to recognize their service. But we are using the donations
(19:14):
that we receive across the committee about I would say
twenty seven to twenty eight dollars per brick. So the
rest of it is, you know, going to the fundraiser.
So the fundraiser not just to help build the commemorative bricks,
it is also funding the other three statues that we're having.
(19:35):
One will be a sailor down by the river, full
sized bronze and then or bronze like I don't know
if he's solid bronze. But then we'll have a female
in uniformed soldier by the Afghan a rock conflict area,
and it will have a like I said before, we'll
have a soldier that's carrying a wounded soldier over by
(19:58):
the Vietnam area. So it helps to pay it's going
to help to pay for all three of those.
Speaker 2 (20:03):
Also, I think it's fantastic when you think of projects
that people should be proud of and seeing their money
well spent right in front of them. This is a
great way to go. Whether you have somebody in the military,
more than likely a family has somebody connected in the military,
but just being able to spend some time eat of
(20:26):
lunch down at the park. Whether the bugler fires off
or not, that scene down there is fantastic.
Speaker 3 (20:35):
Yeah, you got the baseball diamond right there if you
want to, you know, catch a game and come over
and look at the park, or have like you said,
picnic lunch or something down there. We're always improving the park.
We don't see an end to this as long as
the park is up and we have it. It came
of volunteers that want to, you know, keep doing that
(20:56):
when I'm seventy four years old, when we get ready
to kick the bucket, you know, we want people to
be able to carry this on. So we'll have those people.
People will step up, just like in any other service organization.
You know, it won't die.
Speaker 2 (21:12):
It takes well, it's not gonna die because like you
had already said, it takes a battalion and there'll be somebody.
It's like a relay race that when one is done
and the other will take over and just pick it
up and go.
Speaker 3 (21:26):
The baton the baton, baton.
Speaker 2 (21:29):
So and Roger one more time on that website again,
where can they go to see the progress and find
out more.
Speaker 3 (21:38):
The website is f o VMP dot org and the
address for the site for the park itself if people
have not even visited it and they're just finding out
right now that there even is a new veterans park
in Davenport. It's at the south of South Marquette Street
at the river where the boats are. There's also a
(22:01):
park down there. I think it's called.
Speaker 2 (22:05):
Well, there's Centennials Centennials down there too, And then you
can look a little bit far I would gather you'd say,
upriver and you'd see modern Woodman. So it's right in
that area there exactly.
Speaker 3 (22:18):
And we're right between the railroad bridge and the Centennial
Bridge right at the river. So I mean, it's a
beautiful location. And we've also made sure that we position
any of our elements in the park above the flood level,
or at least try to get it above the flood level.
(22:38):
And we had a couple of years ago a flood
that came up to just about where the flag poles
are and that was it. So we think we're pretty
safe on most of the stuff. We keep all that
that knowledge in the back of our minds we're designing
and where we're going to place new articles, so and
it's always growing, so if people haven't even looked at
(23:01):
the park, come down and take a look at it.
It's a beautiful park. We have a forty foot very
dynamic mural that one of our members, Dave Schaeffer, and
I believe he's a teacher at West he actually painted
that and it's just a great attraction right there, just
in itself.
Speaker 2 (23:18):
It's money well spent, very well spent. Roger, thank you
for the time, continued success and any time you need
a little help with things, we'd love to talk about
great things on the quad City form well.
Speaker 3 (23:30):
Pat and Danny, thank you guys very much for allowing
us to voice our concerns and stuff about what we're
doing for the City of Davenport in conjunction with the
City of Davenport. We really appreciate you giving us the
time to spread the word.
Speaker 2 (23:46):
Well, it's a small thing on our part, but we'll
take a bow with you. But you're the one doing
all You and the organization are doing a lot of
that heavy lifting, and congrats to City of Davenport. Deserves
to take a bow, but we're all in there us together. Roger,
call us anytime and we'll try to help.
Speaker 3 (24:03):
Thank you very much. Pat I appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
If you or your organization would like to be featured
on Quad City for him, please visit the contact page
on our station website. Now back to Pat Luke and
Danny Linhowe.
Speaker 2 (24:17):
We have Stephen Garrington, a young man that shows up
all the time most times. Steven, you're talking about the
honor flight. You are always going. But you just finished
the honor flight.
Speaker 4 (24:28):
It was it was great, and it was wet. It's
a court rain. Luckily we had a bank in Clinton
County had donated a bunch of nice ponchos, so we
took them along knowing that there might be rain. Mike
is one chance, and we had those guys in really nice,
(24:49):
real nice sponsos. Now the guardians went around pushing in.
We bought the cheap dollar and a quarter ones at
the at the dollar store and put them in there.
But they had a oneonderful time, you know, poured rain
and here they are in the ponchos and they're watching
the changing to the guard at Arlington. Nobody said I
don't want to I want to go back on the bus.
(25:10):
They were all just having a wonderful, wonderful time walking
around and being pushed in the rain. It was a great,
great time each one of them, and the guys came
back and there was a crowd to welcome them. Some
of them were almost dry by the time they got back.
There were guys who were coming down there and they
saw that crowd welcoming them home. You know, there's a
(25:30):
lot of the Vietnam vets that they've never been welcomed
home before. There were tears. The day was great, but
being welcomed home, oh my gosh. That was such a
fan And.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
You know, we are way behind on paying them back.
Speaker 4 (25:42):
They sometimes thank us for at the Honor Flight Group,
our committees and they say, thank you for doing this.
Our answer is you deserve it for the people.
Speaker 2 (25:52):
Just tuning in right now, we're talking to Stephen Garrington,
director of the Honor Flight of the Quad Cities. Another
successful but wet flight that headed out a few weeks ago.
You have two more in the fall. Now, are there
any openings on that or are they sold out right now?
Speaker 4 (26:08):
September is full October we're starting on that and that's
going to be closed to fall pretty soon. But that
doesn't mean a veteran can't put their name in, you know,
And of course if it's a World War two VET,
you go to the head of the line.
Speaker 2 (26:22):
Yeah, you know automatically as well, they should.
Speaker 4 (26:24):
Career in the World VET, you're going to head the line.
Speaker 2 (26:27):
It also should be noted as we move forward, even
if it's not in the fall, if you want to
be a guardian or moving forward, if you're a VET
that maybe wants to get on a future flight real ID.
Speaker 4 (26:39):
Yep, you need a real ID to fly. We do
need guardians. I mean people who say I want to
go in and spend a whole day focusing on a
veteran and helping him unscrewing his water bottle for him
and talking to him and listening to his stories. I mean,
that's fantastic.
Speaker 2 (26:58):
For people that want to be a part of that.
It's a great idea to kind of get ready for that.
It's not just going out on the flight and occasionally
be needed. You're going to be with that VAT that
you're paired up with all day long.
Speaker 4 (27:13):
We actually have an orientation meeting for the guardians and
we go through a lot of stuff that they made
at the thought of, but to take a long we
go through the whole thing. So they're really prepared when
they're with the veteran. Oh gosh's great to have a
brand new friend, you know. I mean the veterans saying
a lot of veterans are losing their friends, you know.
I mean it's that time. But to me somebody new
(27:34):
and say I'm making a new friend. That's great for
the veterans, and that's really great for the guardian. I mean,
it's a wonderful, wonderful experience. Some of the guardians cry
when they have to leave their veterans. I mean it's
a great, great times, best they you'll ever have.
Speaker 2 (27:51):
This ends up being a win win. There is a
cost for the guardians, but it's a cost that also
helps to make sure that our veterans don't have to
pay a thing.
Speaker 4 (28:01):
It's four hundred dollars and of course that's if you
think about a flight to DC and back, that's that's cheap.
But some of the guardians have had it, loved it
so much they've come back for second, third, and even
fourth time to be on a flight. It's a it's
a wonderful day and well worthy experience. We hope they
have a lot of inference and of course it is
(28:22):
some work we've had someone with one of those risk
things tell us how far you travel and they said,
it's about four miles during the whole day.
Speaker 2 (28:31):
If people want to make a donation or find out
how they can help in other ways, website again or
social media that they can check.
Speaker 4 (28:38):
Out, just Google on a flight Quad Cities. Let's say
you want to be a I'd like to be a guardian,
but I have a good buddy. Let's let's have two people.
We've had husband and wife and each each one of
them takes a different veteran They're usually not in the
same bus, but they both get to go to DC
at the same day. As a matter of fact, we
have I believe a husband and wife on the next
(29:00):
flight going out so and it's their second time or
a third time going on on a flight, which just
tells you how fun it.
Speaker 2 (29:08):
Is and would I would think that's a great way
a secret to a successful marriage.
Speaker 4 (29:12):
And when they come back, they go, well, what'd you do?
Speaker 3 (29:15):
You know?
Speaker 4 (29:15):
I mean, they and they can exchange their stories. It's
really a great, great.
Speaker 2 (29:18):
Time informational stuff. Where did they go?
Speaker 4 (29:20):
Honor fly qc dot org the web based just look
up Honor Flight Quad Cities we'll have on either one
you can you can find us and get an application there.
I'll just call Richcrest Willis and say I want to
talk to the Honor Flight people and will range for
you to get an application as well.
Speaker 1 (29:36):
You've been listening to Quad City Forum, a weekly community
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(29:59):
seven
Welcome to Quad City Forum, a weekly community service program
produced by iHeartMedia to look at the issues and opportunities
that exist in our community. Now here's your hosts for
a Quad City Forum, Pat Luke and Denny Linnhowe.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
We have Roger grand Boys on the phone today talking
about Veterans Memorial Park, which there are four parks right
along the Mississippi River. This is probably one of the
newer ones looking for a landmark. It's the three flagpoles
that really kind of distinguishes it from maybe some of
the other parks. And Roger this particular park is it's
(00:39):
been an interesting little path its life has It's not
been a straight line, but it's been a line that
is consistently the arrow is pointing up towards what's being accomplished.
And when we talk about a city park, this, yeah
is getting help from the city, but a lot of this.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
Friends of Veterans Memorial Park Org. And yeah, we actually
are a team of former veterans, or not former, we
are veterans. Our mission basically is simple that we want
to do as much as we can to promote the park,
enhance the items that are available to see at the park.
(01:20):
You had mentioned the three poles, the flagpoles. There's a
whole lot more now than just the flagpoles that were
actually placed, I believe in twenty eleven when we dedicated
the park very early on. Now there's a forty four
mural that was created by one of our Davenport residents.
It's at the park. We have flags for all of
(01:42):
the service branches, including Space Force. We have a bugler
who now is fully functional and lit at night and
plays three times a day, toots his horn, and we
are now in competition with to Rock Island Marshal.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
Roger because if you're a bugler, at some point you
have to toot your own horn.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
You have to toot your own horn. As this is
not a live person. It actually is one step above
the battery operated horns that a lot of the veterans
groups use at memorial services or funerals. And it's not
to take away from that importance. It's just that this
is a This is a bronze statue, sits upon a
(02:28):
platform that three times a day he is programmed to
toot his horn. In the morning at seven o'clock he'll
play Reveale, then at noon he'll play the national anthem,
and at nine o'clock in the evening he'll play reveale.
And then there's also along with those three, there's a
way for us to activate an automated program that we
(02:51):
can at any time press a button and it'll play
a medley of the service branch's anthems and some other
little ditties. But it lasts about fifteen minutes.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
For people that are just at the park at any
one of those times, maybe if they tied it out
or not. What a all inspiring thing. What just has
chills in the back of my spine just thinking about
being there when the bugler starts.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
Yeah, you're exactly right. You know, you're standing up there
at seven o'clock in the morning or nine o'clock in
the evening and you start hearing that it's going to
be a little spine tangling.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Well, and again going back to the bugler and having
the statue that all costs money.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
Yeah, the bugler alone is a five thousand dollars item.
And we've got three more bronze statues that are going
to be placed in the very near future. I won't
go into detail, but they're five thousand to eight thousand dollars.
Also because one of them is a dual statue, it's
a soldier carrying a wounded soldier, so and again.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
And that's where you're and you're trying to make sure
that you your organization can help make that work and
keep itself sustaining because we're talking about the different phases
that this park has gone through, and we're kind of
I don't know where we're at now. We phase one
into phase two.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
Say Phase one, I would say is the twenty eleven
up until twenty twenty two. In twenty twenty two, I believe,
we started Phase two, which is the mural, the Bugler
and all that the flags and all the plaques that
identify the branches of the service and also different conflicts
(04:35):
or wars that America is involved in. So that's fants two,
and we had a ribbon cutting ceremony on November second,
I believe, I think it was twenty twenty three that
we had the ribbon cutting ceremony and it went very
very well. So now we're into phase three, which involves
our big project, and that's called our Commemorative Memorial brick project.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Tell us about that whole what we're going to be
able to see when it's fully completed down there.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
At the park. Okay, So the commemorative brick part is
actually a project that was kind of dreamed of at
the ribbon cutting ceremony in twenty twenty three, and it's
actually was brought to our attention by mister Lyle Peterson
who was a member of our committee, and he was
basically in charge of getting donations, you know, going to
(05:24):
companies and help raise funds. So Lyle has since passed
away rests soul, but he started a really good project,
got us all involved. And so basically what the bricks
are is.
Speaker 4 (05:38):
You buy a far by.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
Eight inch paper brib could be a red paper brick.
They're not going to go on the ground there. We
are building two A frames to handle the bricks that
we've got so far. So far we've got one A
frame bricks sold for one of the A frames. We're
working on the second one now. So each A frame
holds two hundred and eighty eight bricks. So if we
have to in the future expand that we will, but
(06:04):
right now we're sticking with the two. So basically, through
a donation of one hundred dollars, you can purchase a brick.
It doesn't have to be from for a deceased service member,
just anybody who served in the any branch of the
Armed Forces, including merchant Marines, Coastguard, Space Force as well.
We don't have any bricks from Space Force yet.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
Well that's relatively new, but eventually we'll see some more
people want to chime in on that for sure. But
what do you have.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
We have two bricks. They are from brothers from the
Civil War. They both served in the I think it
was twenty second Iowa Infantry and they actually thought that
the Battle of Vicksburg. One of them died at the
Battle of Vicksburg. And so we have two Civil War
veterans bricks on there. We have World War One veterans,
(06:53):
we have World War II Korea, Vietnam, and Afghan and
Iraq conflicts. So we covered it all. In fact, one
of our veterans that we actually the Friends Group paid
for his brick was a World War Two decorated veteran.
He was a Marine veteran just turned one hundred years old.
(07:16):
We had a party for him one hundred years of
life and also his service in World War II at Okinawa.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
And I would gather too, Roger that even if by
chance you were serving and it was peacetime, the brick still,
whatever the case, gets your brick up there so that
family and friends and even the VET themselves can go
out there and look and look what I did. Everybody
kind of coming together. We had brought this phrase up
a lot of times in the past with any of
(07:47):
the interviews that we have on the quad Citi Forum,
where it takes a village. In this particular case, it
takes the military to raise a village sometimes.
Speaker 3 (07:56):
And we can have a battalions.
Speaker 4 (07:58):
Yeah, there we go.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
That's that's what will kind of accustomize this for Since
we have a finite space there, better hurry because if
you want to be a part of one of those
two A frames, you've only got just a few bricks
left before they complete the second A frame.
Speaker 3 (08:15):
Exactly. The A frames are actually being built by the
students at Davenport West High School and their instructor, Andy's
in and he's in also has an uncle that was
a Vietnam Kia and his brick is also on the wall.
If they're being built right now, they should be within
the next month or two placed at the park. They're
(08:37):
going to be behind the bugler statue, and like I said,
there'll be two A frames, and there will also be
a compass on the ground between the two A frames.
The compass is going to have if you know what
the praying soldier looks like, you'll see him kneeling down
with the rifle and the boots on top of the rifle,
(08:59):
and then that will be in the between the two
A frames. Needed a It sounds silly, but we needed
a compass right there because when you're down there standing
in that part of the the river, the river actually
runs east and west and not north and south like
most people think the Mississippi runs. So we needed a
(09:22):
compass to identify the directions because on a locator service
that I built, it actually will identify the two different
A frames as the South A frame and the North
A frame, which the South will be closest to the river,
in the north closest to the city. So people will
(09:42):
actually be able to identify the A frames just by
the compass. You know which one we're talking about.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
And this brings up another point here when you talk
about the locator and even though we'll probably with the interview,
I don't want to stumble you. I don't want to
hold this up here. But there is a way for
people if they want to find certain bricks. Isn't there
a locator set up at the website that you designed? There?
Speaker 3 (10:09):
There is, It's on It's available from the link from
a link on the actual application for a brick you
put the donor puts his name in, and then puts
the veteror's name in. But I don't have it. I
haven't advertised it as yet available to the public. But
(10:30):
there's no reason that somebody couldn't, you know, if they
hear about it, they can go to the brick application
that that entices them to maybe apply for a brick.
Right but at the top of the at the top
of the page, there's a couple of graphics. One of
them shows the positioning of where the walls are going
(10:50):
to be the a frames are going to be placed,
and right next to that there's a couple images of
people like silhouette type people that are pointing to bricks
on the There's a little bit of a verbiage right
below that. It says, your search results will indicate which
of the four walls they can find their brick and
the word search that just the word itself is hyperlinked
(11:14):
and it will take you to the locator app that
I built.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
For that's a that's a great thing. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
There will also be QR codes at each of the
walls down at the display and so people will be
able to just point their phone and then that that
application will pop right up on their phone while they're there.
So that's great. Make it easy.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
Now. Now for people that want to purchase a brick,
they can do that with PayPal and what where can
they find that at and what are the It's a
fairly easy process. At least I got to the purchase
the brick on PayPal, and they'll be able to use
different to different cards to be able to make the purchase.
And it's one hundred dollars. But why don't you you
(11:58):
tell them that process?
Speaker 3 (12:00):
Sure? Okay. So the website address is f o v
MP dot org, which is Friends of Veterans Memorial Park.
We are we are in, for the lack of a
better word, cahoots with the City of Davenport on everything
that happens down at the park, everything that's placed there,
(12:23):
every decisions that are made. We have members and high
members of the Davenport Park System on our team and
so we coordinate with a Davenport on a monthly basis,
we have a meeting. So basically the f o v
MP dot org will bring you to the base website
(12:46):
and from there you can get hurtinent information from the site,
different tabs and stuff to go to different areas. But
on on the top of the page there's a there's
a yellow rectangle that says per this brick with PayPal,
so people would click on that. Then at the top
of that form you could you add your personal information
(13:08):
so if we have questions, we can contact you and
make sure that you know you're getting the right MOMY
information on the brick. So then below the donor contact
information we have the actual area for the veterans information.
We have several designs for service branch logos and flags
(13:31):
and things that people can use as clip art. And
that the clip art part is an important part because
if you use if you select clip art for your
brick along with the three lines of veterans information, that
reduces the three lines of veterans information by five spaces
on each one. We have some requirements by the engraver
(13:54):
that there can be no more than twenty characters on
each one of the lines. So if you don't don't
want clip art, that's fine. That gives you five more
characters per line. So that's just that's only available on
the online version. I've got some safeguards in there that
won't let you add information that you know over the
(14:17):
twenty space limit. So having said that, there are two
places on that form. One at the top it says
I if you prefer to mail your application or donation,
click here. That will bring you to a PDF file
that you can actually fill out on your computer and
print it and send it through the mail, and we
(14:38):
give the mailing address. So there's several ways that you
can apply for a brick.
Speaker 2 (14:43):
That's fantastic. And again to find out a little bit more,
I think the website is is fantastic, gives you kind
of a rundown of phase one and two and into
phase three of what's happening down at the park. But
if they want to find out more, I think it's
it's great to give the acronym for the Friends of
Veterans Memorial Park again, and I would gather there's also
(15:07):
something similar on Facebook or some of the socials, But
just so people can find out a little bit more.
Give that website again.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
Yeah, the website is f o VMP dot org and
we also have a Facebook link on the site. So
we do have a Facebook page, and there's what we
call a site quick guide link that will actually allow
you to go to several different places on the website
to navigate the site. And we have a donate button
(15:39):
that will take you to if you want to if
you want to, they're both PayPal and if you want
to do it just a personal donation, you can do
that without buying a brick. There's also the link for
the brick donation. So basically it's a simple acronym, like
you said, for the website, and that's pretty self intuitive
on functionality and to follow. If it's not, please let
(16:02):
me know. You can contact me from the website or
the Facebook page and I can you know, find out
what we can do to make it better for you.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
Well that's Roger. That's the voice of Roger grand Boys,
who again is not to toot your own horn as
we bring back the boogler the bugler again. But you
really designed a lot of this website and it really
seems like it's a great job that you've done. I
know you're not the only one that's part of this
whole thing, but again.
Speaker 3 (16:34):
We have a team. Yeah, I'm the one that's basically
in charge of the Brick Project. I'm also on the
committee for all the other stuff that we're bringing in,
but this Brick project. I was asked by mister Rle
Peterson to be a part of this because he knew
that I had website experience, web building experience through my
(16:59):
career at the Rock Eye Arsenal, and I've also done
several community commercial websites here in the Quad Cities. And
I also have been involved with the Vietnam Veterans Organization
for a long time too, probably about thirteen or fourteen
years ago. I built a online auction for the Vietnam
(17:24):
Veterans and that went really, really well, and so Lyle
knew it. Lyle was a big help to me in
that process, and so we were the ones going out
doing the footwork, knocking door to door and getting donations
and then putting them on this auction site. So he
knew I had a lot of experience, and so he
asked me to join the Brick Project, and so I
(17:48):
did and built the site, built the Brick site built
the locator part of it. So yeah, I have done
a lot of it, but there's a lot of people
in the background that are all part of this.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
Well, like you said, takes a battalion, right, it does.
Speaker 3 (18:04):
It does the City of Davenport. The mayor is involved.
The mayor is on our committee, the several high level
park officials are on the committee. The design person Zach
Peterson uh from Davenport Park Sea's basically helps us design
and let us know where the appropriate place to put
(18:25):
the next design feature into the into the park.
Speaker 2 (18:31):
Well, we know we're into phase three right now and
moving forward when if there are other phases, it's going
to be great to be able to see the progress.
And it's just another It just seems awe inspiring to
be able to get down there at the right time,
to be able to enjoy just the bugler sound.
Speaker 3 (18:51):
Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
Now.
Speaker 3 (18:53):
Now, the project, the brick project is our big money
razor right now. For every it's you'd think that one
hundred dollars there is a lot to pay for a brick,
but you got to remember you're doing it for You're
buying something that's permanent, for a loved one that's going
to recognize their service. But we are using the donations
(19:14):
that we receive across the committee about I would say
twenty seven to twenty eight dollars per brick. So the
rest of it is, you know, going to the fundraiser.
So the fundraiser not just to help build the commemorative bricks,
it is also funding the other three statues that we're having.
(19:35):
One will be a sailor down by the river, full
sized bronze and then or bronze like I don't know
if he's solid bronze. But then we'll have a female
in uniformed soldier by the Afghan a rock conflict area,
and it will have a like I said before, we'll
have a soldier that's carrying a wounded soldier over by
(19:58):
the Vietnam area. So it helps to pay it's going
to help to pay for all three of those.
Speaker 2 (20:03):
Also, I think it's fantastic when you think of projects
that people should be proud of and seeing their money
well spent right in front of them. This is a
great way to go. Whether you have somebody in the military,
more than likely a family has somebody connected in the military,
but just being able to spend some time eat of
(20:26):
lunch down at the park. Whether the bugler fires off
or not, that scene down there is fantastic.
Speaker 3 (20:35):
Yeah, you got the baseball diamond right there if you
want to, you know, catch a game and come over
and look at the park, or have like you said,
picnic lunch or something down there. We're always improving the park.
We don't see an end to this as long as
the park is up and we have it. It came
of volunteers that want to, you know, keep doing that
(20:56):
when I'm seventy four years old, when we get ready
to kick the bucket, you know, we want people to
be able to carry this on. So we'll have those people.
People will step up, just like in any other service organization.
You know, it won't die.
Speaker 2 (21:12):
It takes well, it's not gonna die because like you
had already said, it takes a battalion and there'll be somebody.
It's like a relay race that when one is done
and the other will take over and just pick it
up and go.
Speaker 3 (21:26):
The baton the baton, baton.
Speaker 2 (21:29):
So and Roger one more time on that website again,
where can they go to see the progress and find
out more.
Speaker 3 (21:38):
The website is f o VMP dot org and the
address for the site for the park itself if people
have not even visited it and they're just finding out
right now that there even is a new veterans park
in Davenport. It's at the south of South Marquette Street
at the river where the boats are. There's also a
(22:01):
park down there. I think it's called.
Speaker 2 (22:05):
Well, there's Centennials Centennials down there too, And then you
can look a little bit far I would gather you'd say,
upriver and you'd see modern Woodman. So it's right in
that area there exactly.
Speaker 3 (22:18):
And we're right between the railroad bridge and the Centennial
Bridge right at the river. So I mean, it's a
beautiful location. And we've also made sure that we position
any of our elements in the park above the flood level,
or at least try to get it above the flood level.
(22:38):
And we had a couple of years ago a flood
that came up to just about where the flag poles
are and that was it. So we think we're pretty
safe on most of the stuff. We keep all that
that knowledge in the back of our minds we're designing
and where we're going to place new articles, so and
it's always growing, so if people haven't even looked at
(23:01):
the park, come down and take a look at it.
It's a beautiful park. We have a forty foot very
dynamic mural that one of our members, Dave Schaeffer, and
I believe he's a teacher at West he actually painted
that and it's just a great attraction right there, just
in itself.
Speaker 2 (23:18):
It's money well spent, very well spent. Roger, thank you
for the time, continued success and any time you need
a little help with things, we'd love to talk about
great things on the quad City form well.
Speaker 3 (23:30):
Pat and Danny, thank you guys very much for allowing
us to voice our concerns and stuff about what we're
doing for the City of Davenport in conjunction with the
City of Davenport. We really appreciate you giving us the
time to spread the word.
Speaker 2 (23:46):
Well, it's a small thing on our part, but we'll
take a bow with you. But you're the one doing
all You and the organization are doing a lot of
that heavy lifting, and congrats to City of Davenport. Deserves
to take a bow, but we're all in there us together. Roger,
call us anytime and we'll try to help.
Speaker 3 (24:03):
Thank you very much. Pat I appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
If you or your organization would like to be featured
on Quad City for him, please visit the contact page
on our station website. Now back to Pat Luke and
Danny Linhowe.
Speaker 2 (24:17):
We have Stephen Garrington, a young man that shows up
all the time most times. Steven, you're talking about the
honor flight. You are always going. But you just finished
the honor flight.
Speaker 4 (24:28):
It was it was great, and it was wet. It's
a court rain. Luckily we had a bank in Clinton
County had donated a bunch of nice ponchos, so we
took them along knowing that there might be rain. Mike
is one chance, and we had those guys in really nice,
(24:49):
real nice sponsos. Now the guardians went around pushing in.
We bought the cheap dollar and a quarter ones at
the at the dollar store and put them in there.
But they had a oneonderful time, you know, poured rain
and here they are in the ponchos and they're watching
the changing to the guard at Arlington. Nobody said I
don't want to I want to go back on the bus.
(25:10):
They were all just having a wonderful, wonderful time walking
around and being pushed in the rain. It was a great,
great time each one of them, and the guys came
back and there was a crowd to welcome them. Some
of them were almost dry by the time they got back.
There were guys who were coming down there and they
saw that crowd welcoming them home. You know, there's a
(25:30):
lot of the Vietnam vets that they've never been welcomed
home before. There were tears. The day was great, but
being welcomed home, oh my gosh. That was such a
fan And.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
You know, we are way behind on paying them back.
Speaker 4 (25:42):
They sometimes thank us for at the Honor Flight Group,
our committees and they say, thank you for doing this.
Our answer is you deserve it for the people.
Speaker 2 (25:52):
Just tuning in right now, we're talking to Stephen Garrington,
director of the Honor Flight of the Quad Cities. Another
successful but wet flight that headed out a few weeks ago.
You have two more in the fall. Now, are there
any openings on that or are they sold out right now?
Speaker 4 (26:08):
September is full October we're starting on that and that's
going to be closed to fall pretty soon. But that
doesn't mean a veteran can't put their name in, you know,
And of course if it's a World War two VET,
you go to the head of the line.
Speaker 2 (26:22):
Yeah, you know automatically as well, they should.
Speaker 4 (26:24):
Career in the World VET, you're going to head the line.
Speaker 2 (26:27):
It also should be noted as we move forward, even
if it's not in the fall, if you want to
be a guardian or moving forward, if you're a VET
that maybe wants to get on a future flight real ID.
Speaker 4 (26:39):
Yep, you need a real ID to fly. We do
need guardians. I mean people who say I want to
go in and spend a whole day focusing on a
veteran and helping him unscrewing his water bottle for him
and talking to him and listening to his stories. I mean,
that's fantastic.
Speaker 2 (26:58):
For people that want to be a part of that.
It's a great idea to kind of get ready for that.
It's not just going out on the flight and occasionally
be needed. You're going to be with that VAT that
you're paired up with all day long.
Speaker 4 (27:13):
We actually have an orientation meeting for the guardians and
we go through a lot of stuff that they made
at the thought of, but to take a long we
go through the whole thing. So they're really prepared when
they're with the veteran. Oh gosh's great to have a
brand new friend, you know. I mean the veterans saying
a lot of veterans are losing their friends, you know.
I mean it's that time. But to me somebody new
(27:34):
and say I'm making a new friend. That's great for
the veterans, and that's really great for the guardian. I mean,
it's a wonderful, wonderful experience. Some of the guardians cry
when they have to leave their veterans. I mean it's
a great, great times, best they you'll ever have.
Speaker 2 (27:51):
This ends up being a win win. There is a
cost for the guardians, but it's a cost that also
helps to make sure that our veterans don't have to
pay a thing.
Speaker 4 (28:01):
It's four hundred dollars and of course that's if you
think about a flight to DC and back, that's that's cheap.
But some of the guardians have had it, loved it
so much they've come back for second, third, and even
fourth time to be on a flight. It's a it's
a wonderful day and well worthy experience. We hope they
have a lot of inference and of course it is
(28:22):
some work we've had someone with one of those risk
things tell us how far you travel and they said,
it's about four miles during the whole day.
Speaker 2 (28:31):
If people want to make a donation or find out
how they can help in other ways, website again or
social media that they can check.
Speaker 4 (28:38):
Out, just Google on a flight Quad Cities. Let's say
you want to be a I'd like to be a guardian,
but I have a good buddy. Let's let's have two people.
We've had husband and wife and each each one of
them takes a different veteran They're usually not in the
same bus, but they both get to go to DC
at the same day. As a matter of fact, we
have I believe a husband and wife on the next
(29:00):
flight going out so and it's their second time or
a third time going on on a flight, which just
tells you how fun it.
Speaker 2 (29:08):
Is and would I would think that's a great way
a secret to a successful marriage.
Speaker 4 (29:12):
And when they come back, they go, well, what'd you do?
Speaker 3 (29:15):
You know?
Speaker 4 (29:15):
I mean, they and they can exchange their stories. It's
really a great, great.
Speaker 2 (29:18):
Time informational stuff. Where did they go?
Speaker 4 (29:20):
Honor fly qc dot org the web based just look
up Honor Flight Quad Cities we'll have on either one
you can you can find us and get an application there.
I'll just call Richcrest Willis and say I want to
talk to the Honor Flight people and will range for
you to get an application as well.
Speaker 1 (29:36):
You've been listening to Quad City Forum, a weekly community
service program produced by iHeartRadio. If you were your nonprofit
organization would like to be featured, please visit the contact
page and our station website, or contact Quad City Forum
in care of Iheartsmedia. Quad Cities three five three five
East Kimberly Road, Davin Fords, Iowa five two eight zero
(29:59):
seven
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