National Veterans Memorial & Museum
I just learned something about my own city last night. This is something some of the lizard military veterans might find interesting.
We used to have the Franklin County Veterans Memorial here in Columbus. It was both a memorial and an attached hall/auditorium that used to seat around 1500 or so for shows, concerts and the like. It was built to honor local and state military veterans being Columbus is the capital of Ohio
They decided to tear it down and build something new. I knew it was being replaced, but I did not now it recently received a new designation.
Local House Reps Joyce Beatty (D -my rep) and Steve Stivers (R) and Senators Brown (D) and Portman (R) all pushed it to be more than a local thing.
This past fall it was approved by Congress to become The National Veterans Memorial & Museum. The web site has this on the “About” page:
It is time to give a voice to every man and woman who has served, every mother and father who has lost a son or daughter, and every child who has lost a parent. It is time for the National Veterans Memorial & Museum (NVMM). There isn’t a single, dedicated museum to the veteran’s experience.
Here is a statement about how it was all kicked off by our now passed great Astronaut and Senator John Glenn.
Veterans Advisory Committee
A committee of veterans led by Senator John Glenn provided feedback and recommendations to the architects and designers of the facility with the goal of creating a world-class, state-of-the-art representation of the contributions and sacrifices made by military veterans and their families, and educating and inspiring the public about veterans and military affairs.The Advisory Committee developed the pillars on which NVMM’s mission and goals are based. Those pillars are:
Honor • Connect
Inspire • Educate
Pretty cool. Very interesting design which will look great against the backdrop of downtown and across the street from the Center for Science and Industry (COSI).
It also seems like it will anchor a lot of activity as that part of Columbus (The Bottoms) is fast changing and growing from old abandoned warehouse buildings into rehabbed spaces for new arty type businesses, restaurants and even more apartments and condos, etc. like all of downtown Columbus has blowing up.
Here is a link to the site that shows what it will look like, etc.
National Veterans Memorial & Museum
And here is a video from NBC4i the local TV station covering the announcement that it was all approved by congress.
So Vets and other LGF members that might be interested, if you are traveling on Interstate 70 and drive through Columbus, you will be an exit and maybe a mile from the center of downtown Columbus where this new National Veterans Memorial will be.
Stop in and check it out. Book a night in one of the downtown hotels (plenty here) and do some shopping and dining in our Short North and German Village areas after you tour the Memorial. You might even be able to catch a good concert at some of the downtown venues.
(No, I don’t work for the local Visitors Bureau…just proud of how this city is booming and was chosen the be the national memorial for all U.S. veterans)