Local veterans group fundraising nears goal for flagpole and monument at Shawmut Park

Members of the L County Cruisers reported to the Saint Marys City Council on Jan. 20 that they are close to raising funds for a veterans flagpole and a companion monument to be placed at Shawmut Park.

Andy Hoyt, speaking for the group, said the project began about a year and a half ago after organizers found it difficult to hear speakers at a veterans event held on the diamond and began planning a move to Shawmut Park. Hoyt said the group raised funds from several American Legion posts and other donors and is “well on our way” to completing the project this year.

Hoyt described the project scope in outline: purchase and installation of a flagpole, a granite-style monument modeled on the memorial at Memorial Park but slightly larger, and a prepared footer for the monument requiring a three-foot depth due to weight. He said volunteers and local civic members will provide site cleanup and that a local electrical contractor has offered donated equipment and will handle much of the installation work.

“I think this visit today is more of a courtesy call than anything else to let you guys know that…we're well on our way to finishing this project,” Hoyt said. He said the group anticipates the pole and monument to be in place around June, with a formal flag‑raising ceremony slated for Veterans Day.

Hoyt also told council the Cruisers expect to gift the finished monument and pole to the city and said the community response to fundraising had been strong. Committee members on the burial-detail and veterans event organizers will coordinate placement and any ceremony changes; Hoyt said he did not expect the Memorial Day ceremony at Memorial Park to be replaced, though the march route may shift closer to the new site.

Councilmembers thanked the group for the effort and expressed support; no formal council action was requested at the meeting.