ALTURA Minn. – A veterans memorial rich in tributes to fallen soldiers and first-responders will be dedicated Saturday at a ribbon-cutting ceremony at a crest overlooking the area’s sjgnature cornfields and hardwood forests. The memorial is a gift of Ashley Furniture; the Wanek Foundation, which has Winona County connections; American Legion Post 90 of Lewiston; VFW Post 5603 of St. Charles; and local fund-raisers. The 3,100-square-foot park has a 200-foot walk, including a 12-foot wall listing veterans’ names. The wall is guarded symbolically by two soldiers, one a man, one a woman. Fifty-five granite plaques are built into the experience.
Gilded soldiers. At guard at new veterans memorial. Fifteen flags fly at the site, including the black banner for prisoners of war and soldiers missing in action. Lamps atop tall standards illuminate events at dusk. The dedication ceremony is at 10 a.m. Saturday. Image: Steve Lunde