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Memorial Island committee approves cenotaph for Lance Corporal Stevenson, agrees to review eligibility rules
Summary
The Memorial Island Committee voted to approve a cenotaph for Lance Corporal Chase Stevenson after family testimony and discussion; members also agreed to review the committee's cenotaph application rules for possible changes.
The Memorial Island Committee on Jan. 26 approved a cenotaph application for Lance Corporal Chase Stevenson and directed staff to review the committee's cenotaph application rules for possible revisions.
The committee's chair presented the application filed by Teresa Jones on behalf of her grandson and noted that the veterans service officer had signed an approval. A long-serving committee member urged caution, saying "I don't even see the type of discharge that he had" and recommending the group examine its guidelines before setting precedent. A family representative testified that Stevenson "served admirably in adverse conditions in the Horn of Africa" and supplied letters from commanding officers.
The committee debated whether the existing rule — which the chair described as centering on whether a service member joined the service from Indian River County and died while in service — covers deaths that occurred under "extraordinary circumstances." A staff member advised the committee to draft any proposed restrictions and submit them to the city council for formal consideration, offering help with drafting.
After procedural discussion and a second on the application, the committee voted to approve the cenotaph for Stevenson and separately passed a motion to review the regulations governing cenotaph applications and bring any recommended changes back at a future meeting. The committee chair said the city council makes the final decision on island memorials but that the committee would forward its recommendation.
The committee noted administrative details remain, including how the cenotaph will be paid for and constructed and whether certain personal data on the application should be redacted; the chair asked that Social Security numbers be removed from application materials before public record release.
The committee’s action: approved the application for a cenotaph for Lance Corporal Chase Stevenson and voted to conduct a rules review to clarify eligibility criteria before similar future cases.
