Names of veterans to be added to wall

Thanks to a Columbia County commissioner, names of veterans soon will be added to Grovetown's Memorial Wall for the first time since its 2007 dedication.

//

Commissioner Scott Dean announced in the fall that he's giving $10,550 from 2006-10 1-cent sales tax discretionary funds for recreation to the city to engrave names of Columbia County military servicemen and women on the serpentine wall.

"They'll be able to get all the names done up to now," Dean said. "They ran out of money. It costs more money to do it than originally thought. They have not had the funds available."

The serpentine wall, serving as a memorial to active military personnel and veterans, was dedicated Memorial Day 2007 with about 800 names inscribed on the granite panels. Construction cost about $120,000.

The city solicited names of veterans or active duty personnel who live in Columbia County or did while in the armed forces.

Since the dedication, about 250 more names have been submitted for engraving on the wall. It costs $10,550 to have the 10 panels removed by an Elberton, Ga., company to engrave the names onto them, said Grovetown Public Works Director Mike Woods.

"It is very costly," Mayor George James said. "The idea of it was great. The whole scheme of it is wonderful. I don't think any of us envisioned the cost of it, what it was going to take to continue it."

The city also sells engraved commemorative stone pavers for $40 for the short walkways around the wall to help offset the costs.

With the funding available, city officials hope to have the new panels engraved and reinstalled in time for the wall's second anniversary.

"We hope to have them done and up to date if not before, by Memorial Day, that's for sure," James said.