Page 8 - The History of Veterans at Highland Springs

The three trees were planted and dedicated on February 23, 2017 but they are no longer in their original place and are in the process of being replant- ed. However, the honor plaques from the three trees are now prominently displayed near the bricks for better visibility.
The first meeting of Veterans as a group was initiated by Al and Pat Binko in July 2016 and was attended by Rayford Cade, Herb Hoxie, Glee Pitney and Pete Robertson. At the start there was no official name, but members referred to each other as the Veterans Committee, as per a note by Al. The Veterans Affairs Group name was formalized at a meeting on May 24, 2017 and Veterans Memorial Park became the official name for the park. Mem- bers were Glee Pitney, Chair, Al Binko, Ron Genter, Pete Higa and Pete Rob- ertson and at that meeting Conley Cathey and Brad Keith were approved. Some of the other original members of the Committee like Herb Hoxie did not become official members. Although involved from the very beginning, Pat Binko could not become a member of this Committee since she did not serve in the military. The agenda was to consider brick eligibility changes, park layout for future expansion, signage or such to find the park location, display of a larger U.S. Flag with electric lighting and to recognize additional holidays such as Veterans Day, July 4th and Pearl Harbor Day. Glee Pitney, a Veteran of Korea, was extremely active in leadership positions and first Chair of the Group. He pushed for an official organization with bylaws and devel- oped a good working relationship with staff.
In September 2016, a memo from Pat referred to the park as the Veterans Legacy Garden. The Dedication Ceremony of The Veterans Memorial Park was on May 25, 2019 and the launching of the site concluded with a prayer led by Rev. Pete Robertson. He and Pete Higa each have five bricks honoring family members—the most of any Veteran.
The engraved brass plaque on the bench of the Veterans Memorial Park states “This park is dedicated to the memory of its founder U.S. Army Pvt. Albert Binko 1926-2017.” Al Binko was the great driving force and idea person, helped by his wife Pat and many others, to make a vision the reality of what is now the Veterans Memorial Park. The bench on which the plaque is affixed was a topic of lengthy discussion since the decision to have or not to have a back took quite some time. Should the bench face the lovely lake
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