Local veterans’ monuments in Brownwood will soon be moved to a central location, as Brownwood City Council approved a request from the Central Texas Veterans Memorial Committee.
The committee is in the process of finishing plans of the Central Texas Veterans Memorial at the Camp Bowie Memorial Park, which is near the Veterans Administration Clinic and Brownwood Regional Medical Center. These plans include moving the WWII Veterans Memorial and flag pole from Coggin Park, a WWI memorial at the Family Services Center and a Vietnam memorial from the Brown County courthouse to the Memorial Park. The WWII memorial and flag pole at Coggin Park were initially placed by the Veterans of Foreign War and American Legion.
The Central Texas Veterans Memorial project was started in 1944, but has not been completed. The committee has recently re-organized and requested assistance from the City of Brownwood to complete the first phase of the project.
Dr. Stephen Kelly, a member of the committee, explained that Phase I of the project includes a 75-foot diameter concrete circle with 11 granite tablets and other memorials from around the city and a 5-foot wide sidewalk with wheelchair access connecting the memorial to the VA Clinic, American Legion Hall, and Brownwood Regional Medical Center.Phase II will include a walking trail through the park, landscaping, benches and drip irrigation. The walking trail could connect to the proposed walking trail at the Brownwood Middle School by walking down Morris Shephard Drive, according to Kelly.
City staff is already working with the committee to help select the site for the memorial and sidewalks, as well as assist with the site plan. The park is city owned land and is currently maintained by the city.
The committee hopes to work with the 111th Engineering Battalion for engineering of the site as well as moving of the monuments to the site. In addition, the committee is raising funds to pay for the memorial.
“I think it is a great project,” said Mayor Stephen Haynes who stated plans will need to be made for the vacancy that will be left at Coggin Park after the monument and flag pole are moved.
“We have war memorials all over town, some of which are rarely seen due to where they are located. I think it is a great thing to get all of these moved to one central location. I appreciate what you are doing,” said Councilman Larry Mathis. “I think the city needs to take a more active role. I don’t think we fully understand and appreciate the history of Camp Bowie as it relates to the City of Brownwood and its infrastructure, and the historical value of that place,” said Mathis. He explained he hoped the site could become not just a Brownwood attraction but a Texas attraction, “I would like to make it worthy of its historical value to Brownwood, but also to the men who have served.”
Kelly stated that the Brown County Historical Museum has good exhibits on the 36th Division and Camp Bowie and this project would add to that.
Pictured above is the WWII monument and flag pole at Coggin Park which will be moved, as approved at Tuesday’s meeting of the council. The monmument reads, “Lest We Forget Our Boys Who, Made the Supreme Sacrifice In World War II,” followed by names of the fallen.
