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Freedom
Memorial Park is a long over due place of mutual respect, admiration and
gratitude. Of all the communities with military bases in our country, few have
combined bases of such population magnitude as our Fayetteville
metro enjoys. From 1918, the Cumberland County and Fayetteville metro have reaped the
benefit of countless billions of dollars from the military presence of Fort
Bragg, Camp Mackall and Pope Air Force Base. The local economy thrives
upon active duty service people who take up residence in our community and
raise their families as well as the over 32,000 retired military families
residing locally. The very fabric of our society is woven like a fine
tapestry with the precious threads of marriage between local people and
service men and women from around the globe.
From Revolutionary times, Cumberland County and Fayetteville have offered
their sons and daughters to the military serving sometimes on opposing sides
with great honor. When I arrived here in 1963, there was only one
monument locally - the Confederate Soldier Memorial in a traffic circle on
Green Street. Since then, several communities in the area have erected
beautiful memorial monuments to their own citizens who paid the ultimate
sacrifice for our nation. It is indeed time for Cumberland County and
its citizens to recognize the importance of erecting an appropriate memorial
place to honor and remember its combat losses. Such a memorial will also
serve as a dignified place to commemorate all of our military service members,
especially the living. Please actively support our Freedom Memorial Park
with your generous contributions. |
