|
11/28/2007 10:04:00 AM
Monument honors 1864 Ionia war hero
Diana Henderson
Staff Writer
IONIA - Nearly 200 people gathered on the Ionia County Courthouse lawn Tuesday to pay tribute to the county's only Medal of Honor recipient.
Alonzo Woodruff of Ionia received the Medal of Honor in 1895 for engaging in hand-to-hand combat to save the life of a two Civil War comrades on Oct. 27, 1864. The Medal of Honor is the highest military award given to veterans. Woodruff is one of only 103 recipients hailing from Michigan.
"It's something that should never be forgotten," said Denny Craycraft, senior vice commander with the Belding Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) post. "When they take their uniforms off they are often forgotten and to be a Medal of Honor recipient should never be forgotten."
That's why Craycraft took it upon himself to create a monument to honor Woodruff that would be permanently displayed on the courthouse lawn. Craycraft raised $4,000 to pay for the monument from residents throughout the county. Among that total were more than 150 Ionia Middle School eighth-graders who raised $700 in two weeks.
"My students and I just heard that they were giving this huge honor to a veteran from Ionia," eighth-grade teacher Mo Powell said. "We wanted to do a few fundraising things."
Anthony Day, 14, of Ionia said the youngsters raised the money by having a pajama day, a hat day and even a teacher bathrobe day as well as bake sales on Fridays.
"I'm glad to see the middle schoolers here," Craycraft said. "They played a very intricate part in making this a success with their fundraising efforts."
The ceremony consisted of a prayer of dedication, reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, a 21-gun salute and the playing of Taps followed by Woodruff's family unveiling the monument.
U.S. Rep. Vernon Ehlers, R-Grand Rapids, concluded the ceremony with a few comments.
The Medal of Honor "is a rare honor for extreme devotion to your colleges, to your nation, to your government and to your state," he said. "The folks in Iraq, Afghanistan and other parts of the world in the armed services put their life at risk. That kind of heroism needs to be rewarded. That is why I'm here today."
|
Article Comment Submission Form
|
|
