Frisco veterans looking to expand memorial

Plans for the expansion of the Veterans Memorial at Frisco Commons Park have been in the works for years, and now progress is starting to be seen.

Members of the Frisco Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8273 took to the park to raise the U.S. and Texas flags Saturday as the first step in that progress. The flags will now fly year-round, barring extreme weather emergencies, thanks to lights recently installed by the Frisco Parks Department.

The group is hoping to slowly begin the process of further improvements, which will eventually include a wall in front of the memorial and a walkway around it.

Lee Myrben, chair of the Frisco Veterans Advisory Committee and a member of the VFW, said the project has been a long time in the making.

"We have the opportunity to pull together a little bit at a time, so the first thing we did was get the lights for the flags," he said. "I've always hated that the lights weren't on, and now we're illuminating the symbols of our country and state."

Built in 2004, the Veterans Memorial has seen few modifications since it was created. The VFW and other local groups look to change that with a walkway called the Frisco Veterans Walk of Honor. That walkway would include bricks featuring veterans' names as well as pillars noting U.S. military campaigns.

"We're hoping people will want to be involved in this in some way, be it volunteering or having a brick placed," Myrben said. "Before that, though, I'd like to get a little wall built in front that says 'Veterans Memorial,' that way people realize what this is for."

Organizers estimated the Veterans Walk of Honor will cost $194,000 to complete, and renderings of the proposed additions have already been made.

City Council Member Tim Nelson, an Army veteran and member of the VFW, was on hand for the flag raisings on Saturday and said he hopes Frisco residents will share the group's enthusiasm.

"We're hoping citizens will come out to our Memorial Day event and be interested in helping us out," he said. "This has been a long time in the making, and we hope we can piecemeal this project together bit by bit until it's completed."

Myrben said last year's Memorial Day event drew about 500 people, and he's expecting more to attend this year's ceremony on May 28.

Currently, Myrben is working on getting someone he said will be a "great guest speaker" for the Memorial Day event, but until then he hopes local veterans know the organization is working for them by hosting events such as last year's career fair.

"Know we're here to support the veterans and be a part of the city," he said. "We're involved with the memorial, the Frisco Community Parade, and we're here to support the veterans as best we can."

For more information on the expansion plans of the Veterans Memorial, visit www.friscoveteranswalkofhonor.org. Questions can be directed to Myrben via email at lcmyrben@sbcglobal.net or by phone at 972-712-4261.

Current Rating: 0 of 0 votes!

Rate File: Select Rating: * ** *** ****

 Plano Apartments
 Plano Attorneys
 Plano Auto Dealers
 Plano Auto Parts
 Plano Auto Repair
 Plano Beauty Salons
 Plano Car Rental
 Plano Dentists
 Plano Doctors
 Plano Flowers
 Plano Hotels
 Plano Insurance
 Plano Loans
 Plano Mortgages
 Plano Movers
 Plano Pizza
 Plano Realtors
 Plano Restaurants
 Plano Storage
 Plano Tax Preparation
 Plano Travel
 Featured
 More...