CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – To honor the Fort Campbell men and women who lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan after 9/11, the Clarksville City Council voted Thursday to approve a resolution on the development of a Memorial Wall at Patriots Park.
Councilperson Deanna McLaughlin, who sponsored the resolution, said the proposal comes from the members of the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association (CVMA) 18-2, who are current and past members of the armed forces.
Joe Davis, a Clarksville native and retired Army veteran of 22 years, told council members about the purpose of the wall.
“What makes it different from the various monuments and memorials that they have on Fort Campbell is this is publicly accessible and includes all the units. … Throughout the time we’ve been working on this and tried to raise funds, we found it quite challenging to ask people to help fund this memorial.”
As part of an effort to incentivize donations, at the entrance of Patriots Park they would like to place donation bricks and benches. “We want to make sure nobody is forgotten in our efforts to do this project,” Davis said.
McLaughlin said the resolution is an update of the previously approved memorandum of understanding with current dates and the fundraising efforts, to include the benches and bricks.
According to city documents, more than 430 soldiers stationed at Fort Campbell lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan since Sept. 11, 2001.