Plans for a World War II memorial at Veterans Park in downtown Albany are moving forward.
City leaders approved the design and picked a location and plan to dedicate the granite monument next Memorial Day.
Veterans groups behind the project want to make sure the dedication is not delayed.
Building this World War II memorial for South Georgia veterans is a work of love to honor the men who fought and died protecting the United States.
But organizers worry how many World War II veterans will remain to see it.
American Legion Post 30 Finance Officer Nick Nicholson shows us where the World War II memorial will be built at Veterans Park.
"We put it on this side of the sidewalk so that it can be seen from the highway better," said Nick Nicholson, American Legion Post 30 Finance Officer.
The World War II memorial will be similar to the Vietnam Veterans at Veterans Park. 19 feet long, with a globe in the middle showing the world conflict.
There will be at least 30 major battles and war fronts inscribed, with the Pacific Conflicts on the left and the Atlantic and European theatres on the right.
Nicholson today was getting bids for construction of the memorial.
Working steadily to make it the best the community can offer, but also wanting to dedicate it as soon as possible for the remaining World War II vets.
"Absolutely I'd like as many of them as can be here when we dedicate the thing on Memorial Day next year," said Nicholson.
World War II veterans are dying at an increasing rate as they reach their 80's and 90's, so the 11 veterans groups behind the project feel an urgency to complete it.
"We feel that we needed one here because the attrition rate of World War II Veterans. They are dying something like 100 a day. And pretty soon like World War One veterans, which have all died out, there won't be anything to remember them by," said Southwest Georgia Veterans Coalition Chairman Paul Murray.
One thing the veteran groups say is helping, great community support. Like a South Georgia motorcycle group raising money for the memorial.
"Motorcycle groups have helped out like the Remaining Few. One of the biggest advocates of the troops are motorcycle groups," said Murray.
South Georgia working to honor men who saved this nation and our freedom.
"Those people that died and gave up their fortunes and their lives to defend our way of life. We need to memorialize those fellows," said Nicholson.
But the veterans groups are concerned how many of that generation will get to see the memorial.
American Legion Post 30 members have participated in three funerals honoring World War II veterans in the last three weeks here in South Georgia.
The Southwest Georgia Veterans Coalition will focus on a memorial for Korean War veterans when they finish the World War II memorial.
List of Veterans Groups
American Legion Post #30
American Legion Post #182
American Legion Post #512
Air Force Sgts. Chapter #451
Disabled American Veterans Chapter 27
Fleet Reserve Branch #339
Forty & eight Voiture #909
Former American POWs
Marine Corps League Det. #1260
Veterans of Foreign Wars #2785
Veterans of the Vietnam War
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