The Making of a Memorial

As more veterans are coming home we are honored to provide a local place to reflect and be appreciated.

Organizers said local contractors donated $80,000 worth of labor to build the Brighton Veterans’ Memorial in seven weeks; no taxpayers’ dollars were used.

With a vision of a beautiful testimonial to the bravery of the soldiers who served the existing memorial was moved to a new circular site featuring the flags of the five military branches. It features shiny granite on a raised circular base that holds the original veterans’ rock, brass service medallions and flags for all five military branches.

"Time will not diminish the glory of their deeds" ~ General John J. Pershing

Where did it all begin?

821 bricks engraved with veterans’ names have been installed at the site. Next installation date will be the spring of 2018 thru fall as weather permits.

Culminating in stately and proper memorial to those we honor.  Thousands packed the Brighton’s Mill Pond area on November 9, 2013 to attend the official unveiling of a world class memorial a community built.  To all those who so generously dedicated their time, effort, money, resources and so much more we thank you!  This vision would not have been possible without you.  Please visit our Gallery page for a complete photo slide show of the amazing dedication ceremony.

A Veterans memorial is a tangible representation of a much larger ideal. of Somewhere to give a community a way and a place to show acknowledgement and reverent appreciation those who have served our country and for those who have died in service. It’s a place of humble gratitude for their sacrifice and a place of reflection for their loss. 

Brighton has been honored to have a memorial, a grand rock with a plaque, that was installed at the Mill Pond in the 1950's.  In an effort to upgrade the current memorial to world class status a small group of community members consisting of Ricci Bandkau, Bryan Bradford, Dennis Nauss, Chad Cooper, Piet Lindhout and Dick Price undertook this project to see if it would be possible.  All veterans groups in the area took an active role in contributing to the design and backed it's redesign when presented to the City of Brighton where it was received by unanimous approval.