Bloomfield's Veterans Memorial Will Continue To Progress

The memorial's inner circle being poured in November.

Joe Skrivan, organizer of the new Veterans Memorial currently being worked on in Bloomfield, is excited to begin seeing progress again after the first round of concrete was poured last fall. With spring officially here, Skrivan is ready to try and finish the project.

The plan is to start where they left off in fall and complete the outer cement ring, which is where the black granite stones will be placed. Skrivan set out to find the best quality stones that would last the longest. 

“This quality of stone will cost more money, but it will last and last,” Skrivan said. 

He had anticipated that four of the large stones would be enough to hold the names of veterans, but names keep flooding in and Skrivan has decided to add another stone.

There will be extra room on the fifth stone for names to be added and etched in at a later date.

Initially, the estimate for the project was set at $200,000 to complete and another $20,000 to add names in the future. With the addition of another stone, and with an increase in other costs, it has raised the total cost of the project to $250,000.

The additional money will pay for the fifth stone along with the benches, lighting, POW/MIA stone and a tribute stone to the veterans.

The original budget accounted for an inner and outer ring to set the the initial four stones on as well as a three-walled shelter that will be available for picnics and house a donor board. It also budgeted for a red stone dedicated to those who have earned a Purple Heart as well as a battlefield cross and kneeling soldier.

The five black granite stones have been ordered and will be coming all the way from India. Skrivan has set a deadline of May 1 for incoming names. This way the company can etch the names into the granite.

There was a jump in donations after the first circle was poured in November. Skrivan said he hopes that seeing the outer ring poured will cause another boost in donations.

“The time is now for those who have been waiting to see progress before making their donations,” he said.

The funds are on hand for all of the stones, but there is not enough money yet to complete the entire project. Skrivan said it is imperative that those planning to make a donation do so now so the project can be finalized. 

After almost seven years of planning, he would like to see the memorial completed and ready for a dedication by the end of the summer or early fall. If the necessary funds come in, there are high hopes that this goal can be met.

Skrivan said he is eternally grateful to all those who have donated up to this point and have allowed him to get this far in the process.

“Without your generosity this great tribute to the veterans of Bloomfield could never have happened,” he said.

According to him, this Veterans Memorial will be a great addition to Bloomfield. The memorial was strategically placed right on Highway 84 and will be seen by all those that pass through town.
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For those still wishing to make donations, be sure and make the check out to the City of Bloomfield and put veteran’s memorial in the memo section. Checks may be mailed to City Administrator, PO Box 157, Bloomfield NE 68718. For those who need to add names they should be sent to Joe Skrivan at PO Box 367, Bloomfield NE 68718 or call 402-373-2330 and leave message or call 402-841-1027.