Lebanon Eagle Scout proposes Colonel Roberts Medal of Honor monument, outlines fundraising and timeline

Warren Purplemeyer, a 14‑year‑old life scout, told the Lebanon City Council he is leading an Eagle Scout project to erect a Colonel Gordon Roberts Medal of Honor monument on city land behind Roberts Field and adjacent to the Lebanon Countryside walking and bike trail.

Purplemeyer said the monument design calls for a 7‑by‑3‑foot black granite stone topped with a bronze eagle, donor panels and a 25‑foot concrete circular patio with four park benches, lighting and landscaping. He told council the retail estimate for materials and installation is between $50,000 and $60,000 and that he hopes to complete fundraising by July and finish construction by Oct. 26, ahead of Veterans Day weekend.

Purplemeyer credited a VFW commander for prompting the work, said he worked with Art and Stone Monument Company on design, and listed local partners and donors including the VFW, the Fraternal Order of Eagles, Harmon Civic Trust, the Warren County Foundation, the Jackson and Dorothy Kimball Foundation for Scouting, local landscaping contractors and a private donor who purchased a granite bench. He said the project will route donations through the Warren County Foundation and the City of Lebanon city fund to ensure transparency and tax deductibility.

Council members asked about site selection, maintenance, inscription content and how veterans’ names for a bench would be submitted. Purplemeyer said the Park Board recommended the location because the proposed site sits near the trail and Roberts Field, where people would see the monument during games or on walks. He said Joe Brins has volunteered to gather information for veterans whose names may be placed on a donated bench and that the city would assume long‑term maintenance of the site once it is completed and accepted by the parks department.

Purplemeyer told the council he has collected roughly $39,000–$40,000 so far and is awaiting decisions from additional fundraising presentations to local service clubs. He described options that had been eliminated because of cost (for example, additional flagpoles, paver patios and large sculpted bronze figures) and said he will seek in‑kind contributions, discounts and volunteer labor to reduce out‑of‑pocket expenses.

Mayor Messer and other members commended Purplemeyer for the project and offered to assist with outreach. No formal council action was required or taken on the presentation; Purplemeyer asked only for help publicizing the fundraising and permitting process.

Purplemeyer said: "My name is Warren Purplemeyer. I'm 14 years old, and I'm a life scout..." and later described the project's estimated retail cost as "about $50,000 to $60,000."