Trail of Honor continued
The Missouri Veterans Commission believes this is the first and only veter- ans cemetery in the country to accom- modate the development and use of space for a public trail. In his keynote address Scott Englund, Chairman of the Missouri Veterans Commission, said, “When Ozark Greenways first
approached the commission about hav- ing the trail run along the lake through the cemetery, to be honest, we weren’t thrilled with the prospect. Our cemeter- ies have gates, fences, tree lines, and thick scrub surrounding them. When we’re not here, we keep people out— we want to protect the sanctity and dignity of the grounds and veterans interred.
“But the underlying philosophy of our cemeteries is to honor our veterans in perpetuity for their service and sacri- fice. Honor in perpetuity isn’t eight to four, Monday through Friday, closed on state and federal holidays.
“Honor in perpetuity is walking along this trail in the morning as the sun rises behind you illuminating the headstones of those who have served our nation. Honor in perpetuity is standing on this trail at any time of the day, any day of the week, and seeing the history of sacrifices that made this country great rising up the hillside from the committal shelter to the columbari- um wall. And that is what this trail is, a Trail of Honor.” Ozark Greenways celebrated its 26th anniversary in 2017. It is a non- profit citizens’ organization that imple- ments the “Parks, Open Space, and Greenways” element of the communi- ty’s Vision 20/20 plan developed through citizen committees in 1996. The goals of the 12 plan elements
are to guide our community’s develop- ment into the future, setting aside bene- ficial amounts of greenways to create a comprehensive greenbelt and bicycle- friendly Springfield.
For more information on the project and other activities of Ozark Greenways, Inc. see
http://ozarkgreenways.org.
The gateway stones represent authority and the lasting impact of our military servicemen and women
24 WINTER 2017-18
AmericanTrails.org
Benches along the greenway honor the military services
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