Next Monday is Memorial Day and there will be hundreds gathered at the Veterans Memorial in Fountain Park for the annual ceremony to remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice in the cause of freedom. We believe this to be one of the most beautiful and somber memorials to veterans anywhere in the state, maybe even the country.

We also see the memorial as a good place to pause while on a walk around the park or even worth a special visit when there is solitude to reflect on what and who is memorialized.

The memorial was dedicated in 2005 after years of hard work by members of local veterans’ organizations and local contractors volunteering time and services to build the structure. Some, like Mike Archambault, while not a veteran, dedicated his labor of love to his late father, Archie, a World War II veteran.

There is something to be learned by pausing to consider the five plaques depicting five conflicts, from the Spanish American War through Vietnam, placed on the main wall of the memorial. Each plaque, created by Scottsdale artist Ron Head, includes the grim numbers of dead, wounded and missing for each of those conflicts.

The howitzer artillery piece central to the memorial did duty in World War II, Korea and Vietnam before it was retired to a military surplus. It was acquired and placed at the memorial with the help of reserve organizations in the state. The gun is ringed by plaques of emblems for each of five branches of the military; Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard.

As the Memorial Day remembrance passes next week to await another year, let’s also remember we have the opportunity to visit our Veterans Memorial any day to pay our respects and salute those who served in conflicts to keep America free.

The wall that serves as an entry to the memorial along the perimeter sidewalk in the park has small plaques with names of those that made a donation to the memorial. Read the names; if you see any of them, say thanks for their effort to create the Fountain Hills Veterans Memorial.