SEPTEMBER 7 • 2023 | 15

T

he pouring rain that fell on Royal 
Oak’s Memorial Park, the site for 
the dedication of Phase I of The 
Michigan WWII Legacy Memorial, did 
little to dampen the spirits 
of the memorial’s board of 
directors who were putting 
the finishing touches on 
their ceremony. 
They worked through 
the deluge an hour before 
the scheduled 4 p.m. start 
on Aug. 10, trusting in the 
improving weather forecasts they were 
receiving on their cellphones. 
Then, right on cue, as if Cecil B. DeMille 
had directed another dramatic Red Sea-like 
“parting,
” the clouds parted in time for a 
brigade of volunteers to dry off the several 
hundred folding chairs that awaited the 
community and dignitaries. 
By a few minutes after 4 p.m., those seats 
were filled to capacity, and an overflow 
audience that stood at the site were now 
basking under bright blue skies and bril-
liant sunshine. 
There was no one more relieved than 

the afternoon’s master of ceremonies, Fox 
2 Chief Meteorologist Rich Luterman, 
himself a U.S. Air Force and Jewish War 
Veteran (JWV). He has been a supporter 
of the memorial effort since it was only an 
idea. 

MICHIGAN’S TRIBUTE TO WWII
Michigan was famously known as the 
“
Arsenal of Democracy” during the war 
and, in 2013, the state Senate and House 
passed resolutions officially recognizing 
The Michigan WWII Legacy Memorial as 
the state’s tribute to its contributions during 
WWII. 
Now, 10 years later, the board of the 
memorial was making good on their 
promise to Michigan’s WWII veterans and 
Rosie the Riveters that a tribute to their 
sacrifice, both on the warfront and home-
front, would have a permanent home in 
Royal Oak’s Memorial Park. 
The memorial is designed by Michael 
Gordon of MGA Architects of Royal Oak, 
and the lead contractor is Michael Hall 
of RCI Contracting Services of Milford. 
The statues are the artistic masterpieces of 

sculptors Larry Halbert and Oleg Kedria, 
with bronze founding work by Ben Cassell.
Much has been accomplished, but 
Phase I is, as board president John Maten 
described, “the beginning of the end” of 
the project. While there is still much more 
work to be done, a finish line is finally 
within sight.
The Jewish War Veterans Dept. of 
Michigan are among the supporters who 
have given generously to the project over 
the years, and they were well represented at 
the day’s event. More on their involvement 
later.
The dramatic weather reversal that 
preceded the event was not lost on Rabbi 
Michael Moskowitz of Temple Shir 
Shalom. He quipped during his benedic-
tion that his role in the ceremony, along 
with the invocation delivered by Walter A. 
Hurley, Bishop Emeritus of Grand Rapids, 
may have led to some Divine intervention.
In the end, the rain showers left a beau-
tiful glistening sheen on the elements 
unveiled in Phase I, including the memori-
al’s Walk of Honor, made up of over 1,450 

Hundreds gather in Royal Oak to dedicate Phase I 
of The Michigan WWII Legacy Memorial.

Alan 
Muskovitz
Contributing 
Writer

A broad view of 
Phase I of the 
Michigan WWII 
Legacy Memorial

continued on page 16

