Memorial Dedicated to Fallen Marshfield Soldiers
On the south side of Veteran’s Parkway there is a powerful reminder of the sacrifices of local military personnel. Called “Fallen Warriors Memorial,” the humble location is an ideal place to reflect on the true meaning of Veteran’s Day.
Originated by longtime Aldermen Tom Buttke and Mike Feirer, the memorial was an idea that emerged shortly after the naming of Veteran’s Parkway.
“We always said we wanted to put a permanent memorial on the roadway,” said Feirer.
Originally, there was a mural painted on a building along the Parkway, but that wasn’t sustainable. When a building was torn down on the south side of the road, Feirer and Buttke persuaded the city to save the foundation for use in a memorial, and construction began in 2011.
Featuring flags, murals, and statues, the Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, and Air Force are all represented in the memorial.
“On the front of the foundation are six panels of granite,” said Feirer. “On there, there are names of all the veterans that lost their lives from Marshfield.”
Marshfield lost 5 soldiers in the Spanish American War, 40 in WWI, 112 in WWII, 3 in Korea, 13 in Vietnam, and 1 in Afghanistan.
“On the corner of the memorial, there is a combat medic memorial with a bronze statue of a combat medic administering to a GI lying on its back,” said Feirer. “This is in memory of Joe Altmann.”
A community effort, the entire memorial is the result of donations. Resident Kris Leonard painted the murals, Paget Manufacturing constructed the flagpole, and A&B in Stratford crafted the iconic anchor that sits on the west side, among other contributions. More than 8000 City street bricks from Second Street and Third Street projects are laid in front of the memorial, all placed by volunteers.
“We went and picked them all out of a pile,” said Feirer. “We knocked the concrete off and laid them.”
Feirer encourages everyone to take a moment on Veteran’s Day to visit the memorial and reflect on the lives of those lost.
“Visit because of the peoples’ names that are engraved on that memorial,” he said. “That’s a lot per capita of people to lose in WWII alone.”
Ongoing costs for the memorial include electricity (as the project is lit at night) and purchasing new flags as needed. If interested in donating to the project, checks can be mailed to Mike Feirer, Veterans Memorial Projects, 406 W Cleveland, Marshfield, WI 54449. The memorial is also in search of a 105 howitzer to complete the vacant end on east side.
