Lorain County Gold Star Families Memorial Monument to be dedicated Sept. 29 in Elyria

The Lorain County community is invited to attend the Sept. 29 dedication of the Lorain County Gold Star Families Memorial Monument in downtown Elyria.

The dedication, on the grounds of the old Lorain County Courthouse in Elyria, will start at 1:30 p.m.

Gold Star families and relatives are invited as honored guests. A “Gold Star family” is one that has lost a family member in active duty military service. The purpose of the monument, one of more than a dozen in Ohio, is to pay tribute to those families.

The ceremony will include address from local Gold Star family members, assistant director of the Office of Survivor Assistance Ann Duff, and Dr. Mark Harris of the Woody Williams Foundation, which is working with local backers to build the memorial.

Lorain County Commissioner David Moore, a Republican who is running for reelection against Democrat Brian Baker in November, also will deliver remarks.

The event also will include the presentation of colors, a moment of silence, and a wreath-laying ceremony to commemorate the fallen.

“The memorial, with inscriptions of Homeland, Family, Patriot, and Sacrifice, stands as a symbol of the profound gratitude and reverence we hold for the families of these fallen heroes,” according to the Lorain County Veterans Service Commission.

The location was chosen because of its significance to the community. The Old County Courthouse represents justice, while the county Police and Fire Memorial, Workers Memorial and the Lorain County World War II Memorial make the grounds “sacred,” according to the VSC.

“Our community is deeply connected to the values of duty, honor and sacrifice,” said Kimberly Hazelgrove, a Gold Star spouse, U.S. Army veteran and co-chair of the Lorain County Gold Star Families committee. “The Gold Star Families Memorial is a powerful reminder of the profound sacrifice surviving family members have made towards our freedom. We are proud to dedicate this memorial to ensure their daily struggle is not forgotten by the people of Lorain County.”

For information about the Woody Williams Foundation, or to make an online donation to the construction of the memorial, visit the “Lorain County Gold Star Families Memorial Monument” page at WoodyWilliams.org.

The Gold Star Family Memorial was created by a foundation named for Medal of Honor recipient Hershel “Woody” Williams — a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who was awarded the nation’s highest medal for valor for his actions during the Battle of Iwo Jima in the Pacific Theater during World War II — to remember those families who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

The memorial panels are made from black granite, with benches, flagpoles and six military service branch markers to surround them. Clark & Post Architects Inc., the same firm that designed the Lorain County Police & Fire Memorial, designed the site.

The estimated total cost of the monument is $340,000. The Board of Commissioners in August gave final approval for a $100,000 grant from COVID-19 pandemic relief funds.The Lorain County Visitors Bureau, Lorain County Honor Fund, Veterans Service Commission, nine veterans organizations and the Blue Star Mothers of America Inc. also donated.

Sometimes it “takes things like this monument to make people feel like they’re not alone,” Hazelgrove told The Chronicle-Telegram last year. “It’s a place to go, to reflect and remember.”