SIERRA VISTA, Ariz. (KGUN) — Veterans in Sierra Vista are working together to bring changes to the city’s veterans memorial.
The Sierra Vista Veterans Memorial Improvement Foundation is looking to expand the current memorial, located at Veterans Memorial Park.
Frank Liebsch is the president of the nonprofit, which was created in 2017. As a veteran himself, he sees an opportunity to expand the current memorial and use it as a teaching tool for the community and tourists.
“It's important that we amplify the visibility of what our veterans have done and what they continue to do,” he said.
The vision is to create a v-shaped pathway, connecting the two parking lots with the memorial. Along the pathways will be 14 memorial statues and engraved pavers, with the names of veterans engraved in them.
"I bought a paver for one of my high school classmates, who was a year ahead of me in school," Liebsch said. "(He) went off to Vietnam, and he came home in a box.”
He says there are over 7,000 veterans in Sierra Vista, which is why Liebsch thinks there should be a larger memorial at the park.
The Sierra Vista Veterans Memorial Improvement Foundation is working with other veteran organizations to create the memorial and fund the project.
“We want people to know what role veterans have had in the past and what they're doing now, after their service,” said Sierra Vista Veterans Memorials Improvement Foundation board member, Ken Kingsley.
Since being founded in 2017, the Sierra Vista Veterans Memorial Improvement Foundation has been raising money, submitting grants, and gathering letters of support for the project.
Liebsch says they have spoken with the City of Sierra Vista about their project and the pathways help the community members help fix accessibility concerns for people with mobility limitations.
"If we can get up to that $95,000 mark, we'll be able to accomplish everything that's here, except for the monuments,” he said.
There isn't a timetable for the completion of this project.
“I’m going to be optimistic. I'm 78 and I hope to see at least phase one,” Kingsley said.
In addition to paying homage to those who served in the military, both Kingsley and Liebsch, want the memorial to be a space that can help educate the community and inspire the next generation of soldiers.
“We are most (interested) in reaching the youth of our community as they are our future," Liebsch said. "We want to motivate them to serve, to join our military, and to make America the best it can be.”
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Alexis Ramanjulu is a reporter in Cochise County for KGUN 9. She began her journalism career reporting for the Herald/Review in Sierra Vista, which she also calls home. Share your story ideas with Alexis by emailing alexis.ramanjulu@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook.
