ON THE COVER

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16 | APRIL 28 • 2022

provided the audio system.
The JWV has a long history of support
for the memorial’s efforts, having regu-
larly sponsored their annual fundraising
galas. Two of JWV’s own have been
recipients of the gala’s Victory Awards:
Art Fishman in 2016 and 100-year-old
Guy Stern last October.
The JWV’s support continued at the
groundbreaking with a large turnout of
its membership, including WWII veter-
ans, several of whom were accompanied
by Vietnam veteran and JWV Senior
Vice Commander Bill Glogower aboard
a plush event bus rented by the organiza-
tion. “I was very honored to be in their
presence,” Glogower said. “They are,”
his voice cracking with emotion, “our
Greatest Generation.”
JWV Dept. of Michigan Commander
Dr. Edward Hirsch, Colonel U.S. Army
Special Forces (retired), was equally
moved by the reception received by his
most senior membership. “I was over-
whelmed by the kindness shown to our
WWII veterans,” he said. “I will always
be reminded of their sacrifices so that we
can live in a much better world today.”
Hirsch is no stranger to sacrifices made
in defense of his country. When he was
a team leader in Special Operations in
Vietnam, a traumatic leg injury landed
him in Walter Reed Army Medical Center
for more than nine months, earning him
his third Purple Heart.
Also on hand was JWV Department of
Michigan Chief of Staff Donald Schenk,
a retired Army brigadier general whose
service included combat operations in
Operation Desert Storm. “
As a Baby
Boomer and career Army officer,” Schenk

• The Michigan WWII Legacy
Memorial began as Honor Flight
Michigan in 2007, providing one-day,
all-expense-paid trips to Washington,
D.C., for our WWII veterans to see
their national memorial.
• After 33 flights taking 1,400 vet-
erans, the waiting list was exhaust-
ed, and the idea was conceived
to bring the memorial home to
Michigan.
• The memorial will serve as a
place to gather, remember and
inspire; designed to engage the
community and educate future gen-
erations on the heroic efforts of the
Greatest Generation.
• In 2017, Royal Oak unanimous-
ly granted the memorial project
a ¾-acre section within the city’s
Memorial Park, located at the north-
east corner of 13 Mile Road and
Woodward Avenue.
• April 7, 2022, Groundbreaking
for Phase I, which will include over
1,200 donated Walk of Honor brick
pavers, installation of a full-sized
statue depicting a soldier reading
a letter from home, installation of
flagpoles with flags representing
each branch of the military and our
state flag, plus pouring of footings
for a Wall of Stars and future statue
scenes.
• The near-term goal is to raise
$300,000 for Phase II to construct
the Memorial’s 10-feet high by

50-feet wide Wall of Stars. It will
consist of 1,400 stars, each honor-
ing approximately 11 of the 15,458
Michigan lives lost during WWII. Each
star is available for a contribution.
• The total projected budget is $3
million to complete the full memo-
rial. In addition to Phase I and II
elements highlighted above, the
memorial will ultimately include:
— Three life-sized bronze statue
scenes representing Land, Air and
Sea, telling the Michigan story from
both home front and war front per-
spectives.
— A colonnade of 13 pillars, six
of which will represent Michigan’s
contribution to the war effort through
service, sacrifice, industry, labor, com-
mitment and change.
— A large, walkable, interactive
map of Michigan embedded into the
memorial grounds highlighting com-
munities integral in securing victory
through industry, government and
commercial endeavors.
— A spacious amphitheater for
events.

Donate by credit card or volun-
teer at: michiganww2memorial.org.
Make checks payable to The
Michigan WWII Legacy Memorial
and mail to: The Michigan WWII
Legacy Memorial, P.O. Box 8237,
Royal Oak, MI 48068. Call toll-free
(888) 229-6126.

The Michigan WWII Legacy
Memorial: Its History and Future

U.S. Rep. Andy
Levin and Memorial
President John Maten

Emcee Rich
Luterman, chief
meteorologist
at FOX 2 Detroit

RUSSELL LEVINE

JIM HOUSE, WINDING TRAIL PHOTOGRAPHY