LYNNWOOD — Veterans Day has passed, but it is not too late to take a moment to reflect about veterans or to pay respects.
Lynnwood Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1040 and Boy Scout Venture Crew 23 marked Veterans Day with a quiet, dignified ceremony Nov. 11, complete with a 21-gun salute by recently acquired World War II-vintage rifles.
The park is open all year long, said Bill Stroud, who belongs to Lynnwood Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1040 and the post’s honor guard. Local veterans and volunteers have put a lot of time and effort into making Lynnwood’s Veterans Park a beautiful and noble monument to all veterans, he said.
“We would like them to come and visit the park and see what we have done there,” said Stroud, an 83-year-old Mountlake Terrace resident and World War II veteran. “We have plaques honoring different services and a lot of nice landscape. It is a nice place to look around and relax and think of veterans.”
The park, located at 44th Avenue West and Veterans Way (194th Street SW..), is home to 456 bricks engraved with the name of veterans, living or dead, said Martin Spani, post commander of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1040 of Lynnwood. Anyone who has honorably served in the military can have an engraved brick placed at the park in their honor, he said.
“The engraved brick program is opened to all veterans,” Spani said.
In the future, the VFW post hopes to install maps or other displays at the park so it can be more informative for kids, Spani said.
During the Nov. 11 ceremony, Spani presented an American flag to Boy Scout Venture Crew 23.
The ceremony also showcased the six World War II rifles, which the post’s honor guard used in the 21-gun salute. The all-volunteer honor guard, which offers its services at public events and veterans’ funerals, started using the rifles about six months ago, Stroud said.
The post, including the honor guard, is seeking new members.
“We need more veterans,” Stroud said.
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