Cadets and vets

The Friends of Marion County’s Veterans Park Foundation, Home Depot and local high school JROTC cadets have teamed up to help with upgrades at the Ocala-Marion County Veterans Memorial Park. [Photo courtesy of Ron Oppliger]

The Friends of Marion County’s Veterans Park Foundation have joined forces with Home Depot and local high school JROTC cadets to bring upgrades and new features to the Ocala-Marion County Veterans Memorial Park.

Ron Oppliger, chairman of the MCVPF, said the program involves volunteers from local Home Depot operations and JROTC members from area high schools gathering every three months for work sessions at the park.

“It’s a partnership which is an awesome move forward for all our new projects,” he stated.

A team effort on Jan. 27 saw 10 Home Depot employees and their family members work along with seven members of the North Marion High School Air Force JROTC, led by Cadet Chief of Staff, Athorney Gordon, a junior; and teacher and program head, retired Air Force colonel Keith Cunningham.

The combined work group landscaped, placed mulch, worked on drainage and planted in the park for at least four hours.

Cunningham, a 27-year Air Force veteran and former B-1 bomber pilot, called the work session a “hard work ethic” opportunity for his cadets.

Cunningham forwarded a question-and-answer email with responses from Athorney:

Q: What was your takeaway from the work session?

A: The work experience and being able to come together as a community.

Q: Did you enjoy mentoring from the Home Depot crew? If so, in what area; tools, methods?

A: Yes, the Home Depot team was amazing, their work ethic was the most important thing for us to complete the task, and having all the tools and materials we needed.

Q: Thoughts on the veterans’ park (event) overall?

A: I think the event was an amazing opportunity to keep the park in great condition but also to honor our veterans and thank them for their service.

Dante Glasso, manager of the Home Depot appliance warehouse in Ocala worked with Oppliger to partner before the pandemic and now to “give back to those who gave to us.” Glasso said Home Depot will provide grant vouchers for materials for the work sessions and provided $2,800 in material for the recent session. Glasso said the work sessions are a “great opportunity” to mentor the JROTC students in the use of the type of tools used in the project work.

Glasso’s wife, Diana, also volunteered for the session. The couple, both U.S. Navy veterans, met while in the service. Their daughter, Maya, is currently serving in the Navy.

Husband and wife Samantha and Lindsay Odlum, with Home Depot, also volunteered, as did fellow employees Emilie Tanzola and Hector Morales.

Home Depot employee Thomas Fitzpatrick, 24, from a family with a history of military service, dug holes and placed mulch during the work session.

“Any way to help veterans and remember their service,” he said.

Along with landscaping, FMCVP has completed projects in the park that include a memorial to Army chaplain and park supporter and advocate, the late Col. Lamar Hunt, and a digital display on the park’s street sign.

A bronze statue depicting a soldier’s homecoming and a brick gate with the emblems of all branches of U.S. military service are planned projects.

About a year ago, Eagle Scout Logan Catalanotto completed a major Flag Plaza project at the eastern portion of the park, which included an expansive concrete pad holding flags of each state. Another Eagle Scout candidate has a revamp of the flags at the park entrance planned. Scouts also are involved in the ongoing work projects at the park.

FMCVP, a nonprofit volunteer support group for the park, was established in 2021 with a mission in part to honor veterans and promote awareness of the park and adjacent Veterans Education center. The foundation plans to “assist in the acquisition of new displays honoring post-Vietnam era veterans. A focus for the foundation is making the park a welcoming destination for all veterans and their families. A number of improvements, including removing pavement and increasing the grass-covered area in the park, have been done in the last few years.

The roughly six-acre park at 2601 S.E. Fort King St., Ocala, was established in 1997. A centerpiece at the park is the Medal of Honor Plaza, which includes a memorial to Marion County’s sole recipient, Hammett Bowen.

The park is “a quiet oasis and a lasting memorial to all veterans who served, fought and died for our individual freedoms. The structure is comprised of more than 5,000 bricks, 200 benches and 100 plaques, allowing visitors to appreciate the history of our veterans,” according to the county’s website.

To learn more, go to marionfl.org and marionvetpark.com 

The Friends of Marion County’s Veterans Park Foundation, Home Depot and local high school JROTC cadets have teamed up to help with upgrades at the Ocala-Marion County Veterans Memorial Park. [Photo courtesy of Ron Oppliger]