BUFFALO, N.D. - Memorial Day will be a big day in Buffalo.
On top of all the events that traditionally mark the holiday, the Buffalo American Legion Post 10 on Monday will dedicate the town's new veterans memorial. It's a 6-by-10 block of black granite designed in the shape of a book and containing the names of veterans who have died.
About 260 names will be on the monument to start with. Additional names will be added each year.
For a name to be eligible for the memorial, a veteran must have been a member of the Buffalo American Legion or be buried in the Buffalo Cemetery.
Children and grandchildren of veterans whose names are on the memorial have been calling organizers to say they will be in Buffalo for the dedication, said Bill Marcks, post commander.
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"We're planning on a couple hundred people being here for this," he said.
Many in the area are looking forward to the dedication, said Kal Boyd, vice commander of the Legion post.
"It's a definite sense of pride, and it's a chance to honor all those who have served," he said.
The monument cost about $60,000, with the money raised through donations.
John Sproul and his late wife, Beverly, were instrumental in making the monument happen, Marcks said.
The Fergus Falls (Minn.) Monument Co. was enlisted to supervise the design of the monument and the selection of the stone that was used for it.
A number of quarried stones were considered and rejected before the right block was accepted, said Bob Welle, owner of Fergus Falls Monument Co.
Welle, who is a veteran, said memorials like the one in Buffalo are a fitting way to honor and remember members of the military and their sacrifice.
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The Buffalo monument resembles an open book with a Medal of Honor engraved above it.
The image of a medal is modeled after one that was awarded to Arthur Beyer, a Buffalo-area veteran, by President Harry Truman
Beyer, who died in 1965, earned the honor for his actions in January 1945 in Belgium during an engagement with German troops who were dug in and firing on Beyer's platoon.
Beyer is credited with destroying two machine gun positions and killing eight enemy soldiers while capturing eighteen others.
Beyer was personally congratulated by President John F. Kennedy in the 1960s for his heroics.
Marcks said this year's Memorial Day celebration in Buffalo will include a flyover by a World War II plane and recognition of surviving World War II veterans.
Memorial Day events
Memorial Day events in Buffalo, N.D., and surrounding area include:
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• 8:30 a.m., ceremony at Greenwood Cemetery, Tower City.
• 9:30 a.m., ceremony at Buffalo Cemetery.
• 10:30 a.m., ceremony and dedication of the new veterans memorial in the city park on Buffalo's Main Street.
• Noon, pulled-pork dinner at Buffalo Community Center, sponsored by American Legion Post 10.
Readers can reach Forum reporter Dave Olson at (701) 241-5555
