The City of Mishawaka dedicates veterans walkway to fallen heroes

MISHAWAKA, Ind. -- The city of Mishawaka is unveiling the newly constructed veterans walkway at Battell Park, honoring fallen members of the military community.

Mishawaka Mayor Dave Wood, driven by his love for the city and his family's military heritage, says he wants to pay homage to the city's history and sacrifices.

"And we always kind of had a vision of creating a veteran's walk off of our veterans plaza, and making it kind of a contemplative kind of a place where people can reflect on the sacrifices made to give us all that we hold dear today, our freedom here in Mishawaka, and all of our opportunity, and we had a lot of people paid a tremendous price for that. And so we want to honor them, right here in our Historic Park," Wood said.

In a heartfelt tribute to the brave men and women who served their country ahead of memorial weekend, mayor Dave Wood will dedicate the new expansion of the walkway today at 9 a.m.   

The ceremony will feature many veterans, and the ceremony will include performances of the national anthem, taps, and a 21-gun salute.  

A 100-year-old Mishawaka citizen and World War II veteran will light the eternal flame at the walkway, a new feature in the expansion. 

The eternal flame, symbolizing gratitude and respect. Mayor Wood describes it as the first of its kind locally and one of the finest, comparable to those in the nation's capital.   

The granite memorial, near the 24-hour flame, will list the city's fallen veterans. 

The walkway will feature 16 glass-etched informational spots illuminated by led lighting, showcasing Mishawaka's contributions to supporting the nation's wars. 

"I had several citizens walk up and just say thank you, they're blown away. They didn't expect this or didn't quite understand what it might be. But now that they see it, they're just blown away. And so almost emotionally, so and that makes, it just gives me a tremendous feeling. And that's why I love my job," Wood said.