A fresh feature is in place at Aiken County Veterans Memorial Park, on Richland Avenue, in the form of 32 fast-growing evergreen trees that were planted Saturday morning by a team of volunteers, including several vets.
The Aiken County Veterans Council organized the project, with donations of labor and supplies from such boosters as Lawn Vets, Benson Lawn Maintenance, Site One and Polite Lawn Care. Other improvements are also reportedly on track.
The new residents – green giant arborvitaes – grow to about 50 to 60 feet tall and 12 to 20 feet wide. They are meant to help provide a screen between the park and nearby buildings and are promoted as providing "dense, rich green summer foliage that darkens or bronzes slightly in winter." An irrigation system is part of the mix.
Saturday's gathering was described as a success by several participants. "It just couldn't have gone any smoother than it did," said Carl Polite, an Air Force veteran and owner of Polite Lawn Care.
"I was very happy and proud to be a part of a group of guys like that, that understood the sacrifice that other people made, and that what we did was a very small thing ... to give something back," he added.
Polite said the idea largely came by way of Army veteran Lowell Koppert, "a very dedicated young man" largely known as a former Green Beret and the current chairman of the Aiken County Veterans Council.
The council's mission is included on its website, and reads, "Serving as a unified federation of veteran service organizations, civic associations and the local community, we will seek to promote the goals and objectives of all veteran organizations for the common good; foster and support the exchange of information and ideas among all veteran oriented organizations; address issues related to the active and veteran personnel of all the uniformed services, as well as their dependents and survivors in Aiken County."
On board are dozens of organizations such as the Military Officers Association of America, Knights of Columbus, Daughters of the American Revolution, Disabled American Veterans, Marine Corps League and local Junior ROTC units.
The park was established in 1999 and is at 1435 Richland Ave., next to Gaston Livery Stable.
