Posted: 6/13/07
Veterans come by the thousands for WWII memorial dedication
 The ten glass panels of the memorial drew thousands of Minnesotans to study the etched photos and narratives. |
By T.W. Budig
ECM capitol reporter
Thousands of World War II veterans — some in wheelchairs, others 60 years after their wartime service almost boyish — came to St. Paul on Saturday (June 9) for a belated "Thank You."
And they got one.
A crowd estimated at 22,000 filled the Capitol mall Saturday afternoon for the formal dedication of the $1.4 million World War II memorial.
The heavy drone of vintage World War II airplanes passing in formation overhead marked the beginning of the formal dedication with Gov. Tim Pawlenty beckoning to scripture in defining the call to service.
"Our heroes, the brave men and women in our United States military, always answer that call by saying,'Here am I, send me,'" Pawlenty said in his address.
"Everything we enjoy today — security, prosperity and the ability to enjoy freedom — was bought with the price of their service," he said.
"They set aside their dreams, so we could live ours," said Pawlenty.
"But on behalf of Minnesota, we want to make sure they (the veterans) hear our message today loudly and clearly," he said.
"It is simply this: We love you. We are profoundly grateful for what you have done, and you will forever be our heroes," said Pawlenty.
Pawlenty placed a wreath at the memorial.
Local people also addressed the big crowd spread back far on the mall.
Former Spring Lake Park School Board Member Stan Kowalski, who next year will serve as the state commander of the Minnesota Veterans of Foreign Wars, read a poem urging people to thank members of the military before it's too late.
"Tell them now," Kowalski, a former professional wrestler, demanded of the crowd.
"Don't withhold you approbation until the parson makes his last oration," Kowalski said in rhythm.
Kowalski did not come to the dedication to mourn those who had died in service of the country, he said.
"I thank God they were here and lived," he said of the fallen service people.
Kowalski's was not the only poetry read.
Twelve-year-old Jadie Jopp, of Elk River, also read a poem to the veterans.
Former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General John Vessey — a former resident of Lakeville — gave the keynote address.
As other speakers, Vessey described the profound impact of World War II.
"World War II literally and figuratively took the world apart and put it back together again in a different form," he said.
Those Americans who fought the war went on to rebuild their own society and rebuild the world, Vessey explained.
Today the ranks of the World War II generation is thinning rapidly, said Vessey.
"We thank the people of Minnesota for the memorial," he said, gazing out on it.
"But we don't want it to glorify World War II," he said.
His wartime generation — the Greatest Generation, as it has been called — is simply thankful for the opportunity to serve in its time, Vessey concluded.
The formal dedication was only part of the day's events.
World War II tanks, jeeps, half-tracks, lined the Capitol mall with World War II re-enactors bivouacked nearby beneath the trees.
A roll call Minnesota World War II casualties began midmorning and the recitation stretched into the afternoon.
Local lawmakers, as well as serving military members, read the names of the more than 6,000 Minnesotans killed in the war.
Some 326,000 Minnesotans served in the greatest war in human history.
The World War II memorial plaza includes about 12,000 square feet of colored paving.
Designed to symbolize the rise from the abyss of war to sunlit uplands, the dedication features ten, eight-foot tall glass panels etched with war scenes and narrative.
The reflections of thousands of World War II veterans, some standing alone, other with old comrades in arms or family members, filled the smooth surfaces.
Only about 47,000 World War II veterans are alive in Minnesota today.
©ECM Post Review
6448 Main Street
North Branch, MN 55056
Telephone: 651-674-7025
Fax: 651-674-7026
E-mail: editor.postreview@ecm-inc.com