Monument, sanctuary

The River Falls Veterans Memorial, located in the front of Greenwood Cemetery on East Division Street, opened to the public during a moving ceremony before a vast crowd at the annual Memorial Day program in 2009. In just a year’s time, hundreds of volunteers donated labor, materials, expertise and money to build the Memorial that has an estimated value of $375,000. A large part of that amount was raised from the sale of granite paving stones bearing the inscriptions of loved ones who served their country in the military. This pathway is called “The Walk of Honor.” The volunteer force of citizens excavated, poured concrete, landscaped, graded, installed lights and flag poles, laid the pavers and stone wall, and more. Local architect Neil Anderson, a Vietnam War veteran who designed the Memorial setting, said: “It’s a garden, and those who come to the Memorial should enjoy it and feel it’s a safe place. It’s designed as a protected environment for reflection, and not just for veterans. If someone needs a quiet place to go, to walk in or to sit, the Memorial can be their sanctuary.”