As the United States enters the sixth year of the war in Iraq, a UF organization wants to install a memorial for local veterans who have served the country in the past 63 years.
The Collegiate Veterans Society wants to place a memorial in the Reitz Union Amphitheater recognizing all UF and Gainesville veterans but will focus on post-World War II veterans, said Daniel Wojcik, the organization's president.
Wojcik said modern veterans aren't recognized on campus as the only two veterans memorials on campus - Ben Hill Griffin Stadium and Century Tower - are dedicated to those who served in World War I and World War II.
"Our goal is not to make any political statement," he said. "We just want to recognize the sacrifice and work that University of Florida Gators have made overseas."
The organization still needs to present the memorial plans to various university committees to have it approved.
Eddie Daniels, the Reitz Union's executive director, said a lot questions about the project still need to be answered.
"A lot of things need to be worked out," Daniels said. "How do you identify persons that will be recognized? There are a number of logistical questions that need to be answered."
Because this project is unique, there is no certain path to its approval, he said.
A campus master-plan committee has to look at the plans, and a number of other officials must review the project, including the vice president of student affairs, before it is approved, he said.
Wojcik said the memorial plans include five pillars, two flagpoles and a floating fountain in the pond.
The flags and pillars would be installed in front of the rail that surrounds the pond, and a floating fountain would shoot out a plume of water and have orange-and-blue lights.
Billy Brame, president of Brame Architects, has decided to do the project proposal for the memorial for free.
For Brame, the memorial will not only be dedicated to his service in the Navy from 1969 to 1975 but also to the service of his stepson, Jeffrey M. Wershow, who was killed in Baghdad in July 2003.
"I think the memorial fountain will help people understand the sacrifices veterans make, and it will be a physical manifestation of that," Brame said.
The organization estimated the cost of the memorial will be between $60,000 and $80,000, but that isn't definite because it is not sure if it will receive more donations, he said.
Once the project proposal is completed, the organization will go before the UF Student Senate and request funds to help pay for the project.
"We want to increase the beauty and usability of that area on campus and hope to leave it nicer than we found it," he said.
