It stands up on a hill behind the high school and overlooking Wilson Park. Many have seen it from a distance, but not too many people stop by. In different parts of the US, some of the walls honoring and remembering Veterans are made of black granite or marble. The concrete Union County Veterans Wall was first painted black to represent the bleakness, the abyss some veterans feel when returning to civilian life and there is a touch of red along the top to represent the blood that was shed during conflicts. The wall today is gray stucco to resemble the look of granite with black marble plaques. There are many flags flying over the wall: the black flag of the Prisoner of War/Missing in Action, the TN State flag, and several American flags.

The Wall was the project of former Mayor Mike Williams. It was completed in 2014 and dedicated on Flag Day in 2015. Speakers at the dedication included
the keynote speaker, TN Commissioner of Veteran Affairs Many-Bears Grinder, and Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett. Mayor Burchett, who's father served as a Marine, unveiled the symbol of the United States Marine Corps during the ceremony.

Every Veteran represented on the wall has a personal plaque engraved for them by The Sign Guy, Martin Shafer, who donates his time and expertise to make and install them. Each one has a symbol of the military branch served (Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Navy, Marines or Space Force), their rank when discharged, their name, their Duty Station or War Zone and, for some, dates of service. They are made of marble and any Union County Veteran may have one. (There is a small charge to cover the cost of the blank marble plaque). The oldest Veterans on this wall are from the Civil War: Henry Beeler (1863-1865) and William McNabb (1861-1864). When I took the time to look, really look, at the monument, I found that it was quite simple with clean lines and, well, stunning. All the people with nameplates on this wall had put their lives on hold to join in the service of our country. There is a lot of dedication, a lot of sacrifice and a lot of blood, sweat and tears represented on that wall.

After a few years, the wall started to crumble and needed repair. The cracks were large and located behind many of the installed plaques. These nameplates were removed, and the wall repaired. I happened by last week when Martin Shafer (Air Force), Arnold Smallin (Army), and Veterans Service Officer Kevin Manley (Army) were reinstalling the plaques. I learned that there is a special secret technique to putting the plaques onto the stucco wall! Gorilla Glue! And the glue must be applied vertically allowing rain and moisture to drain down between the rows of glue. Who knew? Future plans include installing a podium with an alphabetical list of Veterans and directions indicating where on the wall to find a specific Veteran’s plaque.

Do you, your friends or family have some free time every now and then? Our Veterans are our greatest national treasure. But the plaques on the Veterans Wall really need to have some more TLC. There is a build-up of dirt and pollution that needs to be removed. While there are many ways of cleaning marble, plain old dish detergent in water with a little bit of baking soda added will do the job. (Don’t use vinegar or lemon juice!) Just rinse and dry! Anyone can do it and these plaques really could use a good wash! Why, you could have a fun, themed “Clean the Wall’ picnic there!

Any Veteran (whether alive or passed on) or a family member, interested in getting a plaque in their honor should contact Veterans Service Officer Kevin Manley. VSO Manley is available at any time to help or listen to any Veteran. Call 865-661-7243 or email Kevin.Manley@UnionCountyTN.gov. Or stop by his office in the Senior Center. Office hours are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 9:00–2:00.