Milford war memorial some residents opposed, officially unveiled

MILFORD, Mich. - The city of Milford honored veterans who lost their lives in the line of duty with the unveiling of a monument to fallen soldiers Wednesday.

But getting the project approved was a battle, because of the gun depicted in the statue.

This year's Veterans Day celebration also included the unveiling of the controversial memorial to fallen soldiers.

The monument was approved by the village council earlier this year despite some criticism that the memorial, which features a machine gun, should not be placed in the middle of Central Park.

Council member Tom Nader says he initially opposed the idea because he thought this type of monument was not authorized to be in parks.

"I was operating on 15-year-old information where all of these monuments were placed in cemeteries," he said. "I was wrong."

Supporters of the moment say those who believe this monument to fallen soldiers should not be in this space, say they don't understand the struggle.

"Just because this symbol is in this park it doesn't mean the weapon works or anything like that," said Bear Hall, organizer of the monument, from Friends of American Veterans. "We went to war and we didn't use sticks and stones. We used a weapon and that weapon is represented in this park."

And that's why supporters say they are happy this tribute is finally in place for everyone to remember that many have made the ultimate sacrifice.

"Nothing comes for free, everything costs one way or the other," said Hall.

Merlin Feigley, a veteran of World War II and the Korean War, shed tears Wednesday, saying he's thankful he made it out alive.

"It brings back a lot of memories," he said. "It is so wonderful to be here and see green."