Our Memorial

 

We have come a long way since we joined with Orange County
to build a veterans memorial that honors the men and women
who have served all of us in the service of their county.

 

DonateOrder a Brick Memorial Paver

2023

We are so thankful for the sacrifices and services that Veterans have performed for our country. These brave men and women have put their lives, their careers, and their stability on the line so that we can stay safe on the home front. We believe that they deserve the best care they can get for performing this brave duty.

The pledge of allegiance states “One nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” However, where does this justice come from? Who gave us our freedom? How did our great nation come to be? In addition, for that we have great American heroes to thank. The flag stands tall and symbolizes freedom and all that America has worked for and truly earned. Every day when a school says the Pledge of Allegiance or when we stand for the National Anthem at a sports event, we are saluting those who have served and fought for the future of our country. Veterans are important to our nation’s history and future because they are model citizens that put in hard work, dedication and determination in all that they did to protect our country and our futures as proud Americans in the land of the free.

The memorial is located off Homestead Road, near the Seymour Center and the Southern Human Services Center. First proposed by former Chapel Hill Town Council member Jim Merritt, organizers broke ground on the memorial in 2017 and have been working to build and expand it ever since.

“If you have a veteran in your family, either living or deceased, that you would like to remember with their name inscribed in a brick at our veterans’ memorial, please take the time to make that order now,” said Renee Price, District 50 Representative in the NC House.

As of April 2023, the committee is committed to completing Phase III of the Memorial. Currently the memorial is currently open to the public.

Background

There have been a lot of hurdles to pass since the original concept and design for a memorial. We started fundraising on Veterans Day 2015 and concurrently went to work on a concept design for the Homestead Site.  That design was presented to the Orange County Commissioners on September 20th, 2016. The commissioners and area veterans toured the site and received a presentation on the design as the commissioners looked out over the site.

Our landscape design architect, David Swanson, explained that photographs were taken of the site to capture the existing historic homestead trees and then overlaid with drawings of the proposed memorial. This let everyone understand better the retained beauty of the Homestead Site.

The final concept design plan was then presented formally at the Orange County Commissioners Meeting and accepted. Now the project is fully in motion. The site construction began with a groundbreaking on Memorial Day 2017 and the Flag Plaza dedication, part of Phase I construction, on Memorial Day 2018. The Memorial site is currently open, although not completed, and welcomes visitors. As of Spring 2023, we are moving forward on Phase 3, the permanent kiosk. 

How can you help? Share the story of the Orange County Veterans Memorial with your family, friends, co-workers, business partners and others. Tell them that this memorial will be possible because of their efforts. This is their story, your story… it is the story of the thousands of Orange County Veterans who have defended our country since Colonial Days.

Be it a dime from a child or thousands of dollars from a business, individual, trust, group, or civic organization, all donations count. Please click here to donate.  Consider sponsoring or hosting a fundraising project at a school, church, or group. If you want to remember, recognize, or salute the thousands of men and women who have served their Country and Orange County, this is how you can do it.

North Carolina was first in freedom on May 20, 1775, and North Carolinians have served around the world since then.

Veterans Day 2023