'The crown jewel of Attica'

ATTICA — After a few years of supply chain issues, weather woes and a global pandemic, the Members of Attica Sons of the American Legion Unit 260 have persevered and are getting ready to debut the completed Attica Area Veterans Memorial Park, at 10 S. Main St. A public dedication ceremony for the memorial will take place at the park at 3 p.m. May 21. The ceremony will include a prayer, an event speaker, a rifle squad and a song performed by Seneca East Local Schools. The park has been constructed to pay tribute to veterans and their families, and to reflect on historic events regarding the U.S. Armed Forces. For the past three to five years, the committee had been searching for a way to honor veterans of the area, said Jim Schumacher, Legion Commander. After 14 months of design and construction, the Legion has finally opened the park. When the previous building that resided at the park's current location was torn down, Schumacher said the legion contacted the Attica city offices about creating the memorial. Then, on March 21, 2019, the city gave the committee the deed to the property and ground was officially broken in August 2020 by Allen Excavating, Inc. The commemorative park includes an American flag pole among other flags that represent the branches of the U.S. military. Around 340 paved memorial blocks can also be found at the park, and the legion said they are planning to add more every year. Patriotic symbols and a large mural are also within the park. The large mural is titled "Home of the Free Because of the Brave," and the Legion is in the process of adding two smaller murals to honor veterans who were killed in action and/or were prisoners of war. During the creation process, the Legion reported facing setbacks which delayed the time of the park's opening. "Through the pandemic, through bad weather and supply chain issues, we have finally come to the point where we're going to be ready now to do this," said Paula Karr, chairman of the public relations committee for the American Legion Auxiliary Victory Unit 260. "I like to call it 'the crown jewel of Attica,'" she said, emphasizing the Legion is ready for patrons from the area and elsewhere to travel and see the park. "We get a lot of traffic through town and we've had a lot of people stop and look," said Laurie Risner, the project's designer. The committee expressed the project not only benefits the community, but also works to bring it together. "It's the dedication to people of the community and the Legion family members, and the veterans in the area that really wanted this to happen," Schumacher said. "It's come a long way, and it's very gratifying (to see) where it is." The funds for the project were donated from various support systems within the community, including grants from Tiffin Community Foundation and The Patriots Fund, Sutton Bank, various local donors and via fundraisers. "Having a project like that really brings the good out of people," said Karr. "What I think is very amazing is the small footprint that we're working on … we're very proud of it." The Legion is still adding to the memorial park and plans to bring in a POW chair monument, a reflective praying area, donor plaques and fencing in addition to the two murals already mentioned. "I think it brings the community together to a point with the veterans, and you can talk about your ancestors that are from the area," said Jim Alt, the Legion Secretary. "It's the way we remember them." "There's a lot of history out there once you listen to people," he added. The Attica Sons of the American Legion Unit 260 also announced that they will be hosting their first annual Attica Area Veterans Memorial Car Truck and Motorcycle Show on Oct. 8. The event will occur at the Attica Fairgrounds, and all proceeds from the event will benefit the maintenance of the park. For more information regarding the Attica Area Veteran's Memorial Park or the Attica Sons of the American Legion No. 260, visit their social media page.