LANCASTER, Ohio (WCMH) – Veterans’ Day is coming up next week, Nov. 11, a day to honor all those who have served their country in war or peace.
It’s largely intended as a “thank you” to living veterans for their sacrifices.
To that end, a lifelike display provided by Freedom’s Never Free has been set up at the Fairfield County Fairgrounds in Lancaster, paying tribute to the 70th anniversary of the beginning of the Korean War.
“We just did this to honor our Korean War veterans,” said Larry Smith, a volunteer with Freedom’s Never Free. “They didn’t get too many pats on the back afterwards because it was such a close proximity to WW2, which was so dramatic, a lot of people really didn’t even want to talk about war.”
Smith, a Vietnam-era Air Force veteran, made the skeleton structure for the soldiers, sailors, Coast Guard, airmen, and Marines in the Lancaster display.
“I made all the skeletons and they were basically all standing like this, without heads on them,” Smith said. “We had pictures of each one of the soldiers that’s in the Korean War Memorial and we articulated the arms and legs and the position of them from pictures.”
All 19 service members in the display are dressed from head to toe in period-correct uniforms. Details such as helmets, rifles, and radios are authentic-looking, and the hands are cast from the hands of actual Korean War veterans.
The display is set up at the Fairfield County Fairgrounds. Visitors can drive through or park with plenty of room to socially distance. They do ask that visitors wear masks to be safe.
“And when they come out to see the memorials we have, it shows that they do care,” said Dana Bresler, a volunteer with Freedom’s Never Free.
And just west of the Korean War Memorial is the Field of Heroes – 220 flags with names of veterans from World War 2 through the present day.
“I just want people to come out,” Bresler said. “This is for their enjoyment, for their fathers, their mothers, their brothers, their sisters, anybody that is a veteran. I hope it means as much to them as it means to me.”
The memorial is open until 6 p.m. Saturday. Admission is free but volunteers will be there to accept donations.