Small Towns, Wisconsin Southwest Region Winter 2014 | Page 12

Considering the size of Brooklyn, you would never guess how many of its residents have fought and died for our country. From the War of 1812 (when Fort Shelby in Prairie du Chien was captured by the British after three weeks of fighting) to the Civil War (in which the first treasurer of the Town of Brooklyn, Martin Flood, enlisted in the Wisconsin Volunteers and was elected captain) and extending through the war in Iraq, Brooklyn has a long military history. Over 500 men and women from Brooklyn and the surrounding communities have joined the armed forces to defend the country; many are still serving in Afghanistan. For some time now, the Brooklyn Area Veterans Memorial Committee has been creating a memorial honoring the service of those brave men and women, and those plans are now being finalized. The group is raising money (the memorial will cost an estimated $60-75,000) and hopes to begin construction by August. Rather than focusing on one war, the memorial will honor all Brooklyn veterans that the group is aware of. The centerpiece, made up of six granite panels, will contain the names of every Brooklyn veteran whose service the committee is able to verify, as well as their time of service. It will be surrounded by a circular memorial sixty feet in diameter, with a second monument at the entrance. To expand access, the memorial will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There will be three flags – an American flag, Wisconsin flag, and POW flag - that are lit up at all times. The memorial will be built in the Village of Brooklyn (the final site is yet to be determined) and maintained jointly by the Village and the Town. Support & Donat e Personalized paver bricks for the memorial may be purchased at $125 and up, and all donations (which are tax deductible) are accepted at Brooklyn Veterans Memorial Fund, PO Box 272, Brooklyn, WI 53521. To submit a veteran’s name, contact Lyle Wanless at 608-516-5401 or Shirley Davis at 608-455-2022. p.12 Small Towns, Wisconsin | 2014 Southwest Region Winter Edition | www.smalltownswisconsin.com | e. [email protected]