Van Buren dedicates new veterans memorial

VAN BUREN — The dedication of the new Van Buren Veterans Memorial attracted a crowd on Thursday — veterans, active military, lots of Boy Scouts and their leaders, along with community members — for the unveiling of a project over two years in the making. The memorial, erected in the village's town square, is an Eagle Scout project completed by Jacob Deiter, a 17-year-old Van Buren High School senior. He is a member of Van Buren Boy Scout Troop 313. The ceremony got underway at 11:11 a.m., also in recognition of Veterans Day. The memorial features a 4-by-6-foot piece of black granite set in the middle of the memorial, flanked by seven flagpoles — one for each branch of service, along with the United States and POW flags. The 1,800-brick sidewalk features engraved bricks to honor area veterans. Jacob sold the engraved pavers to help fund the project. He sold 200 hundred of them, at $40 each. Community members will be able to continue to purchase bricks for the memorial. The village will eventually take over the brick orders and upkeep of the memorial. Flags for each of the poles were hoisted into place during the dedication ceremony. Veterans from each of the military branches were asked to assist with the flag raisings. Army veteran Jimmie Deiter, 76, of Fostoria — Jacob's grandfather — helped raise the U.S. Army flag. Deiter served in the Vietnam War from 1966-68. The idea for the memorial originated when Jacob approached Van Buren Mayor Ed May about possible Eagle Scout projects, and May suggested a memorial, something the village had been considering for a while. Jacob then visited memorials in Bloomdale, Ney, McComb and Leipsic for inspiration. When Jacob took the podium on Thursday, he spent most of the time detailing all the help he had along the way from area businesses and community members. He estimated the value of the memorial at about $40,000, with much of the work completed by volunteers using donated or discounted materials. Following the dedication, May read a proclamation declaring Thursday "Jacob Deiter Day" in Van Buren. Grant: 419-427-8412