NOTE: The City is sharing this information on behalf of Councilman Pickett.

This is from Councilman Pickett's monthly newsletter, which residents can sign up for at: www.cityofpsl.com/newsletter

Welcome to the Veterans' View

The City was approached several weeks ago by Rolling Thunder, a local motorcycle chapter that proposed erecting a monument for those military members still missing or held captive as prisoners of war. 

This is a monument that the City could use to shed light on those who are still unaccounted for. A follow-up meeting was set with Parks and Recreation, which controls where monuments are placed within Veterans Memorial Park. Assistant Parks and Recreation Director, along with Assistant City Manager David Graham, suggested several preliminary sites. After hearing the site proposal, Councilman Pickett stated, “POW/MIA memorial needs to be set in a prominent position within the park.”

Pickett continued, “This monument needs to be seen by all who visit the park. This way, we can continue to shine a light on the number of POW/MIA soldiers and Airmen that are still unaccounted for.” 

Rolling Thunder Chapter President Robert Staneruck stated, "The monument has already been ordered by his chapter, with delivery set to the city within the next six months. It is our hope that we can dedicate this POW/MIA monument on POW/MIA Recognition Day, which is the third Friday of September, or on Veterans Day if the monument is not delivered in time.”

While most POW/MIA chairs are stadium-type chairs, the proposed POW/MIA monument chair that will be erected in Veterans Memorial Park will be constructed from granite. The chair will have the POW/MIA emblem etched onto it, resting on a pad with staunches and chains surrounding the memorial to keep people from sitting in the chair. Below is a stock photo to help an approximate idea of what was proposed by Rolling Thunder for placement into Veterans Memorial Park.

It is my hope that each of you reading this support this much-needed monument, and as Veterans, be that combat veterans or veterans who simply joined and did their tour and left the service, will attend the dedication ceremony. We owe it to our comrades who were not as fortunate as us to be able to return home and raise a family.

The proposed POW/MIA chair will need to be approved by City Council at a future meeting to be placed in Veterans Memorial Park. More information will be provided in future newsletters.

To learn more about resources for veterans, please visit any of the following links.

• Air Force Sergeants Association, Elmer Andrews Chapter 564
• Charles Carr - Rolling Thunder Inc. Chapter 6.

Mailing Address: 5914 N.W. Bayou Court. Port Saint Lucie, Florida 34986

• Daughters of the American Revolution, Saint Lucie River Chapter
• Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War, Mary Edwards Walker Tent 12
• Disabled American Veterans Chapter 113
• Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Association
• Korean War Veterans Chapter 106
• Marine Corp League Jack Ivy Detachment 666

VA established this registry in 2014 to put data to work for Veterans and help us better understand the potential health effects of exposure to airborne hazards during military service. By joining the registry, you can provide information that will help VA provide better care to all Veterans. To learn more, click the button below.

File a claim in any of these ways:

File a claim online at VA.gov

Get help from an accredited representative, like a Veterans service officer (VSO)

Get help at a VA regional office

Indian River State College and the Office of U.S. Congressman Brian Mast announced Operation Sacred Legacy, an effort to provide as many local veteran interviews as possible for the Library of Congress Veterans History Project. 

To learn more, click the button below.

Tell us what you think of this newsletter.

We're here to serve you.

Please email me at David.Pickett@cityofpsl.com or call me

at 772-871-5159 with your comments or questions.



Sincerely,

David Pickett,

District 2 Councilman