NEENAH, Wis. (WFRV) – It was standing room only at Shattuck Park’s Veterans Flag Memorial unveiling ceremony, as the new, rededicated statue and array of nine flag poles drew scores of citizens, veterans, and public safety officials.
“We usually have our Veterans Day ceremonies here, and we don’t have this big a crowd,” U.S. Navy veteran Bob Borszich said. “But today’s crowd was great, it was just great to see all the people.”
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For Mayor Jane Lang, the support was expected, as she says her city is one of the most patriotic in the state.
“It was really heartwarming to see so many people turn out for this event, and what a great expression of the love for our veterans,” she said.
U.S. Marine Corps veteran Robert Lace found himself at the center of the Appleton Flag Day Parade, and some 50,000 spectators. For the considerably smaller city of Neenah, the relatively large turnout was also a welcome surprise, especially for the veterans present who fought in every war since World War II.
“I was very happy and almost surprised to see that many people come out in Neenah,” he said. “There’s a very good sense of pride and honor, to be part of [all those veterans], knowing that I did my part and they did their parts also.”
So the sacrifices made by those who survived and those killed in combat are all recognized with nine flags and an ornate statue of a bald eagle, the total cost of which is near $175,000, according to Borszich. The project was years in the making, with planning beginning in December 2023, and spearheaded by the Neenah-Menasha Veterans Association and the city of Neenah Parks Department.
“The veterans organizations just put in so much time and effort on this, and what a great vision they had to accomplish this,” Lang said.
Borszich, a member of the Veterans Flag Memorial Committee and American Legion Post 33, says the monument is as much for those who have served as it is for future generations.
“We keep wanting to honor all the veterans, past, present, and future. And also to have this memorial where young people can come by to see what it’s all about,” he said. “Seems like maybe the young people are forgetting what we’re all here for and why that memorial is there.”
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The takeaway for the younger generations is that what we have was made possible through sacrifice, not just easily handed down with the passing of time.
“If it wasn’t for their sacrifices, maybe we wouldn’t have all the freedoms and enjoyed the good life that we have,” he said.
