Howard Stiles, chairman of the Raymond Veteran’s Memorial Committee, kicked off a fund-raising drive to raise money for a stone memorial to commemorate veterans with ties to Raymond.
Speaking at the Annual Town Meeting on Saturday, Stiles spoke of the town’s desire to honor Raymond residents, both men and women, who are veterans of the military and merchant marines and have served this great nation in times of war and peace. Currently, no such memorial exists.
The proposed location is the Panther Run Rest Area, which was recently transferred from state control to the town. The site will consist of a block granite monument along with a flagpole with cross bar in order to fly three flags. The committee hopes to have at least two granite benches that can be purchased to honor a special family member, even if from away, for $1,500.
There will be a pathway of granite bricks leading to the monument. The entire site will have flowers and plants that will enhance the beauty of the location. Bricks can be purchased for $50 each and can honor a veteran from Raymond or a family member from away. The bricks can be inscribed with three lines of information with 11 characters per line. Forms will be available in the town office and soon online at the www.raymondmaine.org.
Support for the memorial caught Stiles by surprise on Saturday at the town meeting. At the conclusion of Stiles’ comment, he mentioned receiving an anonymous donation of $1,000. Next, Betty McDermott, who has been pushing for a veterans memorial in her capacity as selectwoman, took center stage and stunned Stiles with a check for $7,500 issued by the Raymond Founders Day Committee. The committee had raised the money over the years and was looking for a worthwhile project, McDermott said.
“The stars aligned at the right time and this check is a tremendous boost to the entire project,” said Stiles.
More money is needed, however, to make the memorial a reality. Tax deductible checks can be made out to the “Town of Raymond” with a memo for the Veterans’ Memorial. Send to 401 Webbs Mills Road or drop off at the town offices. For more information, call Howard Stiles at 655-4193.
This is an artist’s rendering of the Raymond Veterans Memorial, which, if enough money is raised, will be located at Panther Run Rest Area.Send questions/comments to the editors.
