GRANT-VALKARIA, Fla. — After an outcry from veterans and their families, a planned statue for the new Veteran's Memorial Park in Grant-Valkaria is being put on hold.
What You Need To Know
- Veterans in Grant-Valkaria criticized inaccuracies in a new soldier statue's design at the Veteran's Memorial Park
- The backlash led to the temporary halting of the statue's construction allowing for necessary changes
- The veteran community hopes to collaborate with local officals to ensure the statue accurately honors U.S. soldiers
A new committee made up of veterans wants to help in the wake of the recent controversy regarding the statue’s appearance. They plan to raise funds for a new statue or to help correct the current one.
The memorial park project is spearheaded by the Grant-Valkaria Community Association (GVCA) nonprofit, which formed a committee of 8 veterans to provide input for its design, including a statue of a soldier saluting the U.S. flag.
An unfinished version of the statue was posted on the town’s Facebook page to show the progress.
In the past days, Don Pearsall, the chairman of the Brevard Veterans Center, says he's gotten a slew of calls about the inaccuracy of the soldier statue concept.
“I can see several things that are wrong with that statue. The pistol belt is a Chinese replica, the collar on the uniform, the helmet is pretty close, but there could be some improvements there,” Pearsall said.
Friday, resident Richard Dockery, a veteran of Desert Shield and Storm, who is a collector of military history, shared his opposition to the planned statue.
Dockery spoke up at last week’s town council meeting. That began an outpouring of pushback against the statue’s design.
“It’s a soldier, but it’s not a U.S. soldier," Dockery said. "Everything from the helmet, the vest, the gear, pants, jacket, boots, everything is wrong. It’s kind of mix and match."
Grant-Valkaria Mayor Lisette Kolar sent a statement about the project.
“When it came to the attention of the GVCA that some residents had objections to the proposed statue, the order was stopped. The construction of the statue is at a stage where changes can be made if necessary,” Kolar said.
Pearsall says he fully supports the memorial park and is glad the town is pausing the statue for now.
“Its gotta be done the right way. That’s just the way it’s got to be,” he said.
