06/01/2026
Good things
Arnold Veterans Memorial Honors Local Heroes
By Melanie (Peters) Chesley
Class of 1977
When Mike Harvey, Don Olson, and several American Legion members took a road trip to visit various veteran memorials around the state in 2023, they could not see the future, but they could envision one. Their vision included a veterans memorial visible to travelers on Hwy 92 or Hwy 40, one with flags encircling large stones engraved with the names of those who served from Arnold and the surrounding area. Travelers who have arrived at the junction of those two highways can see the outcome for themselves, a stunning visual consummation of this ambition, inviting visitors to stop and spend time in Arnold.
The ACFF is proud to have been a contributor to this endeavor, presenting a check for $10,000. That donation, plus many others, met and exceeded the initial estimated cost of $125,000.
The American flag flies center; on each side fly the flags of the armed services: the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corp, Space Force, and a POW-MIA insignia. All flags encircle a large center black granite stone engraved and embellished with insignia from each of the services. Two benches sit at angles to the main memorial. One is dedicated to the American Legion Auxiliary and Sons of American Legion; the other memorializes Air Force service member Scott Cool, donated by the Cool family.
But it is the five granite stones that sit in a semi-circle in front of the flags that hold Arnold’s history and the names of its treasure. These are engraved with the 400 names of local veterans and another 120 names of veterans who have some association with the Arnold area. Included are veterans from Callaway, Stapleton, and Gothenburg, but also out-of-state vets from California, Texas, the Dakotas, and Minnesota, to name a few.
Four stones are almost completely filled with names, but there is room on the fifth for more. People can have the name of an area veteran or a veteran with ties to Arnold engraved on the stone.
To complete the memorial, electrician Ed Lashley will install a center light at the base of the main stone and replace the temporary light on the American flag with a permanent one. The stars in the cement closest to the flags will be complemented by an eagle head design centered at the front of the memorial and the words “In God We Trust.” The stars and other designs are the creative work of Billy Hulse. These final touches should be in place for Memorial Day 2026.
Harvey is grateful so many community members volunteered to do work to ready the site. It is appreciated even by passersby. Harvey received a check from a North Dakota man traveling through Arnold. The man was impressed with the memorial’s placement and called it “a beautiful memorial.” Many others have commented on the memorial’s beauty, location, and eye-catching qualities.
(Article written in April and featured in the annual Alumni newsletter.)
