Vietnam Veterans Memorial Online

Family and friends of servicemen and women who died or vanished in the Vietnam War no longer have to travel to Washington to pay their respects at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. An interactive version debuted online this week, a project of historical document archive site Footnote.com in conjunction with the National Archives and Records Administration. The virtual version of the famous memorial -- which is a pair of 246-foot black granite walls inscribed with the names of more than 58,000 American military casualties -- is searchable. Every name etched onto the real-world wall is viewable online and linked to the veteran's service record. Online visitors can add photos and describe their memories of the servicemen and women who died in the war. For more of this article: News.Yahoo.com. To see the virtual Vietnam Veterans Memorial: Go.Footnote.com/thewall.

Newnan-Coweta Freedom Walk - Sunday, Sept. 9

Commemorates the 6th anniversary of 9/11 attacks - to remember those who lost their lives and to honor firefighters, police and soldiers of our nation who protect our freedom every day. Events are being planned with guidance from the America Supports You, www.AmericaSupportsYou.com. Newnan walk begins with a 6:30 p.m. Gathering at gazebo in the Newnan city park at Jackson Street and Temple Avenue and ends at Court Square. Sister walks will also be held Sept. 8-11 in Washington, D.C., and all over the nation. Details: Susan Shaner at 770-845-2254 or 770-251-3987 or sshaner@numail.org.

Veterans Memorial Plaza Bricks

In order to help fund Veterans Memorial Plaza in Newnan, the committee is hoping to sell some 5,000 bricks to form the pedestrian area in the landscaped park. Anyone can buy bricks and the bricks can have anyone's name on it. Several people have planned to buy a brick for each grandchild. Bricks can also have the name of a club or business. To come close to the goal of 5,000, many bricks for non-veterans will have to be given, along with those recalling family members and friends who joined the military. The park is located at Jackson Street and Temple Avenue. A proposal was unveiled during the annual Memorial Day gathering at the park, and fundraising is now under way. Bricks may be given in honor or in memory of anyone. Each brick costs $50 and can have three lines of text with a maximum of 16 characters and spaces per line. Checks may be made to the city of Newnan. Orders may be sent to Newnan City Manager, 25 LaGrange St., P.O. Box 1193, Newnan, GA 30264-1193. Payment must accompany orders. We're working to get a picture of a brick to help sales. Click here to display and print the order form. The plaza will include an area with flagpoles, and there will be plaques listing Cowetans who died in World War II, World War II, Korea, Vietnam and the current and recent conflicts in the Middle East. There is even a space for a future plaque if it should be needed. The proposal also calls for a permanent desk-style podium that can be used for the program in the park each Veteran's Day and Memorial Day as well as for other community events. The plan includes benches near the plaques. In addition, the Coweta Veterans Club has offered to provide a plaque for the park that will show an uplifted hand and the words: "I solemnly swear to uphold and defend..."

Robert "Eddie" Couch Honored

Memorial Day ceremonies, sponsored by VFW Post 2667, were held on Monday, May 28th, at Veterans' Memorial Park on Jackson Street in Newnan. The "Honor All by Remembering One" ceremony remembered the life of Senoia's Eddie Couch, who was killed in 1968 while serving in Vietnam. The program was followed by a community fellowship dinner at the Coweta Veterans' Club.

Veterans Park Plan Should be Ready for Memorial Day

Members of the Veterans Memorial Park committee have approved a general plan for development of the area around the Veteran's Monument - and hope to have that plan ready for official unveiling at Memorial Day ceremonies. See full article at www.Times-Herald.com

Oregon Dedicates Memorial

The state of Oregon set a precedent on Veterans Day by dedicating a memorial to its casualties from Afghanistan and Iraq. Though billed as the first of a kind, Arkansas actually dedicated a memorial to its National Guard troops killed in these wars on Sept. 10, 2005. Oregon's memorial includes all residents with ties to the state. The memorial efforts, under way for two years, was conceived and launched primarily by one family - Clay and M.J. Kesterson. Their son Erik was killed in Iraq. The family raised more than $100,000 in cash and garnered $400,00 in in-kind support. the state pitched in $181,000. Located on the grounds of the Oregon VA Department on the Capital Mall in Salem, the Afghan-Iraqi Freedom Memorial features a large fountain and an 8-foot bronze statue of a kneeling soldier with an outstretched hand. The 74 names of the soldiers and Marines killed are inscribed on a granite wall. Gary Cupp, who donated labor to complete the project and whose son is in Iraq, said, "I'm glad to see them doing this now, and not waiting so long like they did after WWII. These guys need to be honored today, not 10 or 20 years from now."