VFW Post 6134 is located in Pullman Michigan and is dedicated to the VFW mission, "To foster camaraderie among United States veterans of overseas conflicts. To serve our veterans, the military, and our communities.” Pullman is a rural community with approximately 4,100 residents yet its citizens have always answered the Nations call. After World War II, the residents erected a wall with a list of 134 veterans from Pullman and the local community. Over time the "Honor Roll” and wall deteriorated until it was eventually taken down. Now with the new Pullman town square we have an opportunity to restore the Honor Roll.

The plan is to create a new memorial and we have commissioned the artist Mr. Mike Kiefer to create the new Honor Roll. The wall will sit at the corner of 109th Avenue and 56^th Street under the American flag. Perched atop the wall an American Bald Eagle keeps watch. Engraved into the wall the names of more than 400 men and women from Pullman who served their country, from the civil war to current active duty today, are memorialized. Finally, leading the way to the wall and surrounding it are bricks with the names of those individuals and organizations who contribute to the memorial. The purpose of the Honor Roll is to ensure that current residents of Pullman and future generations will not forget the sacrifice made by their fellow citizens.

Everyone visiting the town square (tourists and residents alike) will have the opportunity to see and admire a piece of art that connects on a deeper level with the ideals of patriotism, love of country, and self-sacrifice. The Pullman Honor Roll will engender a feeling of pride and esprit de corps in the local community. It will help to connect the children of Pullman (whether visiting on a school field trip from the local elementary school, enjoying the town square with their parents for a festival or farmers market, or just playing in the park after school) to those who served and sacrificed for the community making the stories they learned in history real and enhancing their educational experience.

Memorials such as this have become cultural icons and are found around the country from the Vietnam Wall in Washington to the World War I memorial in Kansas City, Missouri, to the USS Arizona still resting, with its entombed sailors and marines, on the floor of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. These memorials serve as a place for veterans their families and friends to come, remember, share stories, connect with loved ones, and ultimately heal.

Finally, this project directly contributes to the VFW mission to serve our veterans and their communities.

 

If you'd like to support this project use the link below to see how you can help. 

https://polarengraving.com/pullmanvfw