Woodmen of the World Lodge 46 dedicated a memorial flagpole to Kinston and Lenoir County at Neuseway Park in 2004 to which a patio with seats was to be designed and installed. At that time there were no funds in coffers to do so and the project was delayed. The Last Firebase commissioned Juan Eric Cantu to design the 9-11 Memorial for this dedication.

“What better way to show gratitude to the Woodmen of the World for their contribution to the memory of those who serve and those who have given their all for this country’s citizens. Expanding the area surrounding the memorial flagpole will pay tribute to our emergency service personnel, not just here in Lenoir County but countrywide. The patio contains 830 sq ft of paver space in which engraved pavers can be placed honoring anyone who serves or has served our country in the Emergency Services arena. As a bonus benefit, many civic activities that occur in the park will have a center court.”

During the transfer of the Veteran’s Walk of Honor from the Last Firebase to Salute! A Tribute to America’s Veterans organization, this project was brought to the attention of the Walk’s curator Herman McLawhorn. A design was presented by Mr. Cantu to symbolize this community’s acknowledgement of our Emergency Service personnel and the honor of their dedication to the preservation of life.

“It is truly an honor to include our Emergency Service personnel as veterans of their respective service, whether it be law enforcement, fire fighter, or emergency medical technicians and Emergency Management,” stated Mr. McLawhorn.

Salute! A Tribute to America’s Veterans is a non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of military history and to give thanks and honor to those men and women who serve our country. Salute! will make this project its first major endeavor to pull the Veteran’s Walk of Honor through Neuseway Park.

Much thinking went into the 9-11 memorial design. Approximate statistics show that out of the 2800 people who gave their lives during the terrorist attack in September 2001, firefighters numbered 393, police officers numbered 197, EMS personnel numbered 14, and Port Authority numbered 57.

Juan Eric Cantu, designer, has built a 1” to 1’ scale model for presentation, as blueprints are so difficult for most people to visualize a finished project. This model is on display at the Community Council for the Arts for the community to view. The 9-11 Emergency Service Memorial project cost of $18,400 is relatively small in comparison to other memorials; however, the project fits the space available at the park.

The design is quite symbolic as it represents the tragic events of that day in 2001. The general shape of the design is pentagon, in honor of our military headquarters and the men and women who lost their lives there. The adjoining walks represent the runways where the United Airline and American Airline Flights originated. The sculptured water feature represents the Two Towers and in memory of the innocent and the emergency service personnel who departed this life in the terrorist attack. The surrounding landscape will honor the civilians who stopped the terrorist on Flight 93 from fulfilling their objective. The meditation pool represents the calm environment that all those who perished are now experiencing in the afterlife. The Woodmen of the World dedication plaque will be proudly displayed within the face of the design.

All funds from Walk of Honor contributions are used to further the projects of Salute! within our community for our citizens. Engraved bricks for the Veteran’s Walk of Honor and the 9-11 Emergency Service Memorial can be purchased by contacting curator Herman McLawhorn at (252) 522-0517 or visit our website at www.salutevets.org and go to the CONTACT US page.

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