Big turnout for Blue Star Marker

Jennifer Moonsong

Central Division

General Manager

Jobe Publishing, Inc.

 

In a momentous occasion honoring local veterans, a large crowd gathered at the Beulah Nunn Park last Friday, July 9th for the unveiling of the Blue Star Memorial plaque.

“We are fortunate to have a place of tranquility like this to visit,” said Mayor Harold Armstrong.

The unveiling of the plaque has been long-awaited. Glenda Eaton, Glasgow Garden Club president recognized the veterans present and talked about the journey it took to make this possible, thanking those who had worked towards this end goal and helped by way of donations.

The history of the Blue Star Memorial makes it all the more important that Glasgow, at last, has this great honor.

At the close of World War II national garden clubs like other public-spirited organizations sort of suitable means of honoring servicemen and women. Garden club members visualize a living memorial, preferring to help beautify and preserve the country these men and women fought for, rather than building blue stone monuments in their honor. In 1944, Mrs. Lewis M Hall president of the New Jersey Garden Club, and Mrs. Vance Hood, roadside chairman, inspired the idea.  A 1,000 flowering Dogwood trees were planted along 5 miles of highway. The highway was dedicated as the Blue Star Drive by legislature

The importance attached to the blue star memorial program was underlined when the National Garden Club President’s pin, designed in 1952, contains seven diamonds and one large sapphire symbolic of the program.

In order for Glasgow to obtain such a prestigious marker, it had to be approved by both the state and national garden clubs.