9/11 Memorial UnveiledApproximately 35 people gathered Sunday afternoon for the unveiling of a 9/11 memorial outside Center Lake Pavilion in Warsaw.
The monument is in the circular drive area outside Center Lake Pavilion in Central Park.
About $1,800 in funds were raised for the memorial during an Oct. 17 motorcycle pride ride. Other fundraisers for the memorial included bingo and snack sales. Funds also were raised during the fair.The monument was purchased from Patten Monument and honors local law, fire and emergency services personnel who lost their lives in the line of duty.
"Our purpose for the monument is to have a permanent remembrance of 9/11 and the victims of 9/11, and to our emergency services personnel who lost their lives in the line of duty," said Mike Cox, 9/11 committee chairman.
The memorial has the names engraved of Harold Shepler, Joseph Bauer, Phillip Hochstetler and Jason Beal.
Shepler, a former Warsaw Fire Department firefighter, died in 1930 while responding to a house fire on East Center Street.
Bauer, a former Kosciusko County Sheriff's Dept. chief deputy, died in 1954 on Christmas Eve in a traffic accident.
Hochstetler, a former KCSD detective sergeant, died in 1994 while interviewing a suspect about a burglary.
Beal, a former Indiana State Trooper, formerly of Shelbyville, died in 2000 when he was patrolling in southeastern Kosciusko County.
The memorial is triangular and two-sided and on one side says, "In memory of the courageous personnel who answered their final call while on duty in Kosciusko County". It has the names of Shepler, Bauer, Hochstetler and Beal engraved underneath.
On the other side of the monument, it says, "Nearly 3,000 people lost their lives during the heinous terrorist attacks on New York, Pennsylvania and Washington D.C."
Ken Locke, 9/11 committee member, led the Pledge of Allegiance and said a prayer to remember troops and local law, fire and emergency services personnel currently serving and those who lost their lives.
During the ceremony, Cox recognized people who were instrumental in making the memorial a reality.
"This monument is a culmination of a lot of planning that started a year ago and the design says everything we wanted our monument to say," Cox said.
Tony Lloyd, Patten Monument, assisted with the artists rendition. Kuert Concrete donated the monument's base. Jack Keirn, Keirn Excavating, created the hole where the base went in. Warsaw Rental, Robert Signs, Pierceton Fire Chief Gordon Baker, Warsaw Fire Fighter Brooke Murphy, Warsaw Community Development Executive Director Cindy Dobbins also were instrumental in the project. Warsaw Parks Departments approved the location for the memorial.
Cox recognized 9/11 committee members who worked on the project, including Pat Cox, Cathy and Ryan Reed, Dathan Reed, Gary McDaniel, Ken Locke, Deb Miotto, Cindy Justice and Eric Teune.
At the end of the ceremony, 9/11 committee members placed roses on the memorial.
