By Jon Johnson
PIMA – Freedom isn’t free. Today, as in the past, Americans continue to stand against tyranny, and some pay the ultimate sacrifice so others’ freedoms will be preserved.
To honor its veterans and remind the youth of the sacrifices made to ensure their way of life, the town of Pima is creating a monument honoring 27 men from Pima who fought and died in WWII. On Tuesday night, that effort got a huge cash infusion when the United Way of Graham and Greenlee Counties presented the town with a grant for $113,400. The town will have a 50 percent match, turning it into roughly a $160,000 project.
“The board was very happy to be a part of this,” said United Way of Graham Counties Grant Manager Amanda Patterson. “And know this has been a long time coming and they’re happy to get it up and going and finished. So, we wanted to present this check for $113,400 to the town of Pima.”
A previous monument flagpole at Heritage Park was dedicated in 2011. According to the original driving force behind that flagpole’s replacement, C.B. Fletcher, Pima lost more residents per capita in WWII than any other municipality in the United States.
At the 2011 dedication, retired United States Marine Sergeant and multiple Purple Heart recipient Larry “Digger” O’Dell gave a stirring patriotic speech during the ceremony and described how, from the country’s initial inception during the Revolutionary War, Americans fought for freedom.
“While we sit here today under this flag, we are able to do so because men and women have given their lives to make certain that this flag never touches the ground,” O’Dell said. “(They) make certain this flag never surrenders or dips to an earthly king. And on this memorial, we can see the names of 27 young men who, in spirit, hold up this flag and ensure that we are able to enjoy liberty and freedom.”
The flagpole monument at Heritage Park will have to be moved but its new location is still up in the air. It might be located near the new monument, however, out front of the new library that is set to be constructed next door. That flag pole monument was originally paid for by efforts from the youth. Back then, Jhett Judd took the organizational lead for the fundraiser to replace the flagpole as his Eagle Scout project, and the students of Pima and Discovery Plus Academy raised the necessary funds of about $2,400. A large portion of the money was raised through the school’s “pennies for the pole” project, which collected various denominations of cash, including 23,220 pennies from Pima Elementary School.
The new memorial has been designed and is being constructed at its new home across from the Pima Elementary School at 104 S. Main St., The new monument will feature a paved parking lot, brick flooring and granite slabs with the names etched into them, landscaping for the lot between the memorial and the new library location, and a mural by Brandt Woods.
Multiple flagpoles have already been put on the lot thanks to a previous $10,000 donation, and a block wall is going up lining the property.
Pima Town Manager Vernon Batty said the monument needs to tell the story. And for those unfamiliar with the 27 men, Batty said the town is looking at compiling pictures and information on them and could have a QR code at the monument to take visitors to more information online.
The United Way of Graham and Greenlee Counties is supported in part by donations from employees of Freeport McMoRan, the city of Safford, the town of Thatcher, and Graham County.
