LUVERNE -- Neither wind, sleet nor snow stopped Rock County residents from conducting a ground-breaking ceremony Thursday morning on the courthouse lawn in Luverne.
The 10 a.m. program was moved inside the courthouse and included a presentation by local Legion and VFW Color Guard members. Approximately 30 people were in attendance, said Rock County Administrator Kyle Oldre.
Following the program -- which included comments by Rock County Veterans Memorial Committee chair Rick Peterson, Warren Herreid Sr. and the reading of written comments by Herreid's son and daughter-in-law, Warren Herreid II and Jeannine Rivet, whose KAHR Foundation is funding the memorial -- a groundbreaking was conducted outside.
"It is our privilege and honor to recognize the citizens of Rock County who have and will serve in the U.S. Military to protect our country, our freedom, our families and our lives," wrote Herreid II and Rivet in their comments.
The Rock County Veterans Memorial will consist of a 24-foot granite star embedded in the pavement, with five granite benches located at the tip of each star, according to Herreid Sr. Resting on one of the bench's will be a life-size bronze statue of a veteran holding an American flag.
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A five-sided, black granite obelisk will rise 18 feet from the center of the star and contain the names of all Rock County soldiers who died while serving their country. North of the obelisk and embedded granite star will be a wall to honor those who were prisoners of war or considered missing in action. Flags representing each branch of the military will fly above the memorial, with a second set of flags -- the POW/MIA, American and Minnesota flags -- towering in the background.
While it may seem strange that a project groundbreaking would take place in the midst of winter, Oldre said a rented coil system was used to take the frost out of the ground and make it possible for construction of the memorial to begin. Plans are to unveil the monument during the community's Memorial Day program.
"As soon as we can get the snow off the ground, we will start construction," Oldre said. "We've got about 90 days to get it done."
He hopes the snow will be cleared off the courthouse lawn on Monday, so construction can begin.
Oldre said a granite company in Cold Spring has already shipped the paver stones to Luverne for the memorial's construction. The stone will be engraved by Those Blasted Things, a Luverne business.
Approximately 1,050 pavers have been sold for the memorial, enough to fill the space between each of the star's five points. Oldre said pavers are still available for purchase and will be placed along the sidewalk area of the memorial. The pavers will recognize Rock County veterans from all military branches and include name, rank or branch of service and the dates of service or conflict.
"We're extremely pleased with the sales," Oldre said. "We're farther along than we thought we'd be by now."
