By Tyler Pruett, Managing Editor
tyler@southerntorch.com

RAINSVILLE, Ala. — Donors to the new Rainsville Veteran’s Memorial can now have a veteran’s name etched into the memorial. There is no required amount to have a veteran’s name displayed. Donations and names must be submitted no-later-than September 9 in order to have them engraved by the memorial’s planned dedication on Veterans Day, November 11. 

Memorial organizers are also seeking out the oldest veteran from each branch of the military (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard) from Rainsville for the dedication ceremony. Plans are to have the oldest from each branch raise the flag at the ceremony. 

The memorial is the result of the tireless work of Rainsville locals Kay Guffey and Derek Rosson. Rosson first got the idea for a Rainsville Veteran’s Memorial after seeing similar memorials in other towns across the state. Rosson is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps and was deployed to Iraq.

With the help of Kay Guffey and generous donations from the community, Rosson’s dream has now became a reality. Work is being done by volunteer effort each Saturday until the dedication in November.

The organizers have had plenty of help from the local community in the first two Saturdays of work. Many volunteers came out to help lay the 12 inch blocks that make up the foundation of the memorial.

“We would like to thank everyone that has made this project possible,” said Rosson. “We hope this monument will be something that our citizens and local veterans will view with pride. We also would like to thank all the Veterans who served our country.”

Contact Kayron Guffey of the Rainsville Beautification Committee at 256-638-2137 between 8:00 am and 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday to make a donation and have a name featured.

Also, if you know a veteran of World II, The Korean War, or Vietnam that would qualify to raise the flag, contact Kay.