Honoring Our Veterans: You Can Help Preserve History
Honoring Our Veterans: You Can Help Preserve History
Coastal is proud to be among the select companies that have decided to get involved in the early stages of a monumental exhibit of civic and national pride. We recently made a $10,000 donation, on behalf of our employees and members that are veterans, to the National Veterans Freedom Park Foundation's campaign to build a site in Cary, NC. When it is completed, the National Veterans Freedom Park (NVFP) will cover 12 acres, and will be dedicated to honoring the sacrifices of American servicemen and women, and to ensuring that their firsthand accounts of history will be preserved for future generations.
"Words alone cannot fully express our gratitude for this generous donation," says Dave Milidonis, NVFP executive director, "this funding and Coastal's support for our educational initiative will be instrumental in our success."
The centerpiece of the project will be the 150-foot tall Light of Freedom spire, which NFVP hopes will become a local landmark. The surrounding monument plaza and walkway through the park will be filled with statues, educational plaques and other historic reminders of the service and sacrifice of our veterans. The location will also be home to a 25,000 sq. ft. education center, which will house a classroom, auditorium, art gallery and other memorabilia exhibits. There, the stories of those who served, in most cases as told by the veterans themselves, will be archived and available for visitors, historians and classrooms of children to retrieve and review. The education center will also house a studio, where veterans can have their stories recorded, archived and even broadcast globally over the Internet.
"Recording and archiving that history is especially important, notes Milidonis, "because much of the information that veterans themselves can provide will help restore records that previously have been lost. In 1973, a fire at the National Personnel Records center in St. Louis wiped out the service records of millions of American veterans. Through the efforts of volunteers, the foundation is working to record, restore and preserve those veterans' legacies."
Coastal invites our members, our employees and your families, friends and neighbors to help support this project as a way to honor our veterans, celebrate our freedom and preserve our history. We encourage everyone to get involved any way they can, whether by making a donation, volunteering to help or, if they or a family member are veterans, contributing their personal story to the archive project. The foundation is actively seeking photos, letters, travel orders, separation documents and anything else veterans and their families can provide to restore their service records. Most importantly, they need veterans to tell their stories, which will be digitally recorded and saved so present and future generations of Americans can see and hear it for themselves.
How You Can Help:
Tell your story
Currently, the Raleigh Elks Lodge is hosting open interview days each month. Veterans from all six branches of the armed services, Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Merchant Marines and their families are invited to share their stories with the NVFP. Volunteers are also willing to travel and meet with individuals. You can find out more about how you can share your firsthand account of our history by calling (919) 449-5440.
Volunteer
The National Veterans Freedom Park needs people to volunteer to help collect and record veterans' stories. They'll provide the training, if you'll provide the time. Call or visit their website.
Contribute
The National Veterans Freedom Park Foundation depends on the generosity and support of corporate and individual donors. Your contributions, large or small, will help achieve its mission of telling the story of freedom as told by the veterans who preserved it, through their individual stories, celebrated in art and carried on through education.
You can join the foundation, make a financial donation, or find more information about how to support this worthwhile endeavor by visiting their website at www.nationalveteransfreedompark.com .
