“A PERSONAL NOTE OF THANKS TO ALL THAT GAVE MONEY TO HELP FUND THE EAGLE PROJECT, THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART!  I WOULD HOPE THAT ALL OF YOU ARE ABLE TO COME VISIT OUR FAIR CITY ON NOVEMBER 7^TH TO DEDICATE THE EAGLE.  (THE SATURDAY BEFORE VETERANS DAY 2009)   I HAVE PERSONALLY VISITED THE PARK AND REMEMBERED SHIPMATES AND FRIENDS, AS THIS HAS BECOME A VERY SPECIAL PLACE FOR ME AND MANY OF OUR VETERANS FROM THIS AREA.  HOWEVER, IT BELONGS TO EVERYONE!  COME SEE IT WHEN IT IS DEDICATED SO YOU TOO, CAN REMEMBER THOSE SPECIAL PLACES AND TIMES WHEN YOU SERVED THIS GREAT COUNTRY.”

 

HAL CLEVELAND

BURLESON, TEXAS

 

(By the way, that is me in black, 2^nd from the right in the front row with my hand on Betty Shelton’s shoulder.)

 

The eagle has landed (Posted Fri 02:22 pm)

LUKE HARRIS

burlesonstar@...

After a $500 check from First National Bank in Burleson and a $500 check from Community Bank and a $1,000 check from Burleson veteran Dick Thompson a veteran’s eagle memorial statue will be landing in Burleson.

Since the beginning of March, Heart For The Kids board member Betty Shelton, along with HFTK, American National Bank and the Burleson Star have been working to raise funds to bring the memorial to the city.

Shelton needed to raise $14,700 to bring the statue to Burleson. She has raised $14,000 and the city of Burleson will be footing the cost of the rest of the bill, she said.

The statue will stand at 7 feet perched on a 3.5 foot stone with a 12-foot wingspan. The stone will be adorned with plaques representing all military branches. The eagle will be perched at Renfro Square in Old Town Burleson. The area already honors the veterans with several bricks engraved with the names of veterans and those who gave their lives while fighting in various wars during the last century.

Shelton has been doing charity work for years and has said this would be her last project.

“It is the biggest thrill for me and the biggest accomplishment I have ever done,” she said. “This is one of Heart For The Kids biggest projects.”

While it took hard work from Shelton and several organizations to raise the funds, the lifelong Burlesonite gives all the credit to her community.

“It has happened because of the citizens of Burleson,” she said. “More than half of the funds raised — nearly 10,000 — was given by individuals. Families that had veterans that wanted to put their names on the plaque. There have been several businesses who have donated their money, but most of it comes from individuals.”

The giving spirit of Burleson residents has shown what a community can do when it comes together, Shelton said.

 

 

Hal Cleveland, U.S. Navy, (Ret.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sn9lB8J_M44

www.vfw6872.org

www.naus.org

www.trea.org

www.usdr.org

www.ulsg.org