City Of Laurel To Unveil New Monuments In Memorial Garden

LAUREL, MD — The City of Laurel is unveiling three more monuments in the Memorial Garden outside the Municipal Center at 8103 Sandy Spring Road this weekend.

The ceremony will take place on Sunday, May 28, 2017 at about 12:30 pm. The public is invited to attend. It will also be broadcast LIVE on Laurel TV and livestreamed at laureltv.org and on the LaurelTVOfficial YouTube channel.

This event follows the Memorial Day ceremonies at the Ivy Hill Cemetery which begin at 10:30 a.m on the same day.

City of Laurel first responders will lay wreaths at their respective monuments and then proceed to the City of Laurel Memorial Garden ceremony.

City Administrator Martin Flemion is proud of how the City’s Memorial Garden is taking shape.

“It’s an effort that began after the City successfully petitioned to receive a piece of steel from the Twin Towers after the September 11th, 2001 attack.” Flemion says. “ As part of the deal, the New Jersey Port Authority required us to memorialize it and display it for the public. We worked with the American Legion—and the idea to create a Memorial Garden was born.” The City unveiled its 911 monument last September to mark the 15th anniversary of the attack.

This weekend, a Pearl Harbor monument, relocated from Gude Park will be added to the garden to honor all of those who died during the attack on December 7, 1941. It features a fluted anchor of stainless steel which is symbolic of the World War I battleships that were present at Pearl Harbor during the attack.

A Veterans Memorial is being added to the Garden to honor Vets from all branches who served in wars and conflicts around the world. A Veterans star made of marble will have the emblem of each branch of the service etched into it. The base of the monument features this quote from President Harry S. Truman: “Our debt to the heroic men and valiant women in the service of our country can never be repaid. They have earned our undying gratitude. America will never forget their sacrifices."

Mayor Craig A. Moe, a son of the American Legion whose father is a Veteran says, “it’s important to recognize those who have sacrificed for their country, and their community. Some have made the ultimate sacrifice and we never want to forget them.”

The ceremony on Sunday will include the unveiling of a marble monument honoring City of Laurel DPW Employee Marcus Colbert who was struck and killed on the job in January.

The City plans to add one final monument to the Memorial Garden—a piece of the Berlin Wall. A date for that installation hasn’t been determined.

You can view the entire Memorial Garden unveiling on the LaurelTVOfficial YouTube Channel LIVE on Sunday, plus if you live within the City of Laurel limits, you can watch it on Comcast channel 996 (HD, Comcast 71 (SD) or Verizon channel 12. The ceremony will also be livestreamed at laureltv.org.