In any case, after Mr. Williams spoke at the SAR Holiday Dinner on the 6th of December and alluded to the "possible" placement of a Memorial at the new park which conflicted with Mr. Rapp's plan as presented at the 3 December 2015 Brownfields clean up grant meeting where he noted it is apparently a done deal? This prompted me to write to the Foundation and AGAIN voice my concerns that this Memorial was a Tourist Trap for Vienna rather than the Honor for those families as I perceived it was supposed to be. Below is that letter which I unfortunately have not gotten a reply too after two weeks. And I am a firm believer that "NO" answer is an answer and not a positive one. And as I have now posted the letter here, I would no longer give much credence to any response I might get.
Hershel Woody Williams
Medal of Honor Foundation
PO Box 9548
Huntington WV., 25704
7 December 2015
Sir;
I would like to begin by extending my deepest and sincerest thank you for your service to our Country.
While I know I will never have the opportunity to meet you, I too am a very proud Veteran myself. To your degree, no; but nevertheless, a proud Veteran.
The reason for this letter is to ask you and your fine Foundation to reconsider the attempts by the City of Vienna to have you put a “Gold Star Memorial” in it.
Why, you may ask? Because very simple Sir, after sitting in a City Council Meeting and listening to the Mayor and City Recorder talking about all the tax dollars the City would get from the Memorial, I was sickened.
For any entity, at any level to want such a Monument, more for the tax dollars than the recognition for those who suffered such grievous losses is to me unthinkable.
I cannot for a moment imagine that any family who loved one's name would be on such a Monument to take any pleasure in knowing it is more a “Tourist Trap” than what its intended purpose is in showing respect for those who gave so much?
May I instead offer this solution? Put it in the Visitor's Centers that are at the entrance to this OR any State so as to allow more folks to pay their respects. At those locations, maintenance would be by either Volunteer Groups or the State Maintenance Crews. Plus most importantly, security would be better for sure.
In any case, I cannot believe that you would buy into such a scheme? The Mayor of Vienna is already saying it is a “done deal”.
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But in a recent TV news program you did not give that impression? So hopefully, this letter will get to you in time to reconsider where a Monument of this value will be established in this are?.
Sincerely
Lawrence Wilson
1312 10th St.
Vienna WV., 26105
I would suspect, that some will be angry with me for the position I have taken on this? But for those who as I did also served in the Military and also learned about "Duty, Honor, Country"; the use of such a Memorial for the personal gain of a Community OVER the Respect, Love and Honor to those families who paid so much more than any of us who served and by the Grace of God returned or were in other locations while the terrible losses occurred is a disgrace. This is not about me or even you who served but about the purpose of the Memorial for the families. I will use this example if I might? What would the families of the six (6) men think about such a Memorial that gave their all looking for Mr. Bergdahl and then find out it was a "Tourist Trap" instead? How many times should a family be trapped for all the wrong reasons?
It was made fully known of the connections when the one son was stated as living in Vienna and Mr. Azinger made mention he knew Mr. Williams and would speak to him about the Memorial. I am not and never will be a political animal so I could only shake my head as I have listened and learned of what is going on.
Now of the 900 plus Veterans living in Vienna, should you feel as I do on separating the loss of loved ones from Tax Dollars at a Tourist Trap; than maybe you might take pen to paper and let the Foundation know of your thoughts on what the Memorial is supposed to stand for? 'nuff said.