On Friday, April 19, 2013, the Ground Breaking event for construction of a World Class Veterans Memorial Park was held.
The Memorial will be adjacent to and a part of the VA Medical Center at Lake Nona and it will be the only Veterans Memorial adjacent to a VA Medical Center in the entire country.
The Central Florida Veterans Memorial Park Foundation Board of Directors welcomed those attending. A musical prelude was provided by the Bahia Brass Quintet. DeLloyd Voorhees, Acting President, welcomed everyone, followed by Opening Remarks by Jerry Pierce, Chairman. The program included an invocation led by CAPT Richard Black, USN (Ret.), the National Anthem played by the Bahia Brass Quintet, and the Pledge of Allegiance led by Col Joe Kittinger, USAF (Ret.)
Honored Guest Speakers included Mr. Timothy W. Liezert, Director, Orlando VA Medical Center; Mayor Buddy Dyer, City of Orlando; Mayor Teresa Jacobs, Orange County; Congressman Alan Grayson, District 9; Congressman John Mica, District 7; Congressman Daniel Webster, District 10; Vice Chairman John Horan, Seminole County and LTG Jay Garner, USA (Ret.), CFVMPF Honorary Chairman.
Wharton-Smith, General Contractor for the Memorial, provided shovels and hard hats for the Ground Breaking event.
