ROGERS CITY – A group looking to improve Presque Isle County’s veterans monuments expects to hit its fundraising goal soon.

The group, which includes members of the Presque Isle Servicemen’s Club, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 607 and the Lions Club of Rogers City, received donations totaling $6,250 from three area businesses Wednesday. With these funds, the group hopes to redo the bases of the Korean and Vietnam war memorials that stand on the county building lawn in Rogers City. The Presque Isle Veterans Memorial Restoration fund, as the group calls it, is close to its $17,000 goal, and group members are encouraged by the support they’ve received so far.

“To me, it means the community is behind this project just as much as we are,” VFW Post 607 Quartermaster Duane Dembny said. “The fallen are still in their minds, and that’s why we’re doing it.”

Presque Isle Electric & Gas Cooperative’s Communities First Fund donated $5,000 to the fund, Carmeuse Lime and Stone and the Boilermakers Union Local D500 donated $1,000 and Calcite Credit Union donated $250 on Wednesday. Communities First Fund Board Chairman Mike Myers presented the fund’s donation, Carmeuse Calcite Operation HR Sharon Kindt and Boilermakers Local President Patrick Schuch presented theirs, and Calcite Credit Union CEO Barb Mills presented the credit union’s contribution.

Myers said the group’s application for a grant fit very well with the fund’s criteria for grant applicants, so well that it was unanimously approved by the board.

“Anything involving veterans, we’re very supportive of what they’ve done and their service,” he said.

Kindt and Schuch said they thought the memorial project would be good for the community and a fitting way to honor local veterans.

The plan is to make marble bases for both the Korean and Vietnam war veterans monuments, according to Presque Isle Servicemen’s Club member Gary Nowak. These bases will include the etched names of men currently listed on bricks in the pavement near each monument, bricks that have worn over the years. A few local businesses have already committed to help with the actual work.

Nowak has a connection with one of those names. Fred Wozniak was his classmate in Rogers City High who graduated as valedictorian, was voted “most likely to succeed” and studied engineering. His father worked with Nowak’s father as a meat cutter.

At some point, Wozniak joined the Air Force Reserve, and in 1967 he went missing while flying on a photo reconnaissance mission over Vietnam, VFW Post 607 Commander Richard Wright said. While the plane’s wreckage was located, his remains were never recovered. To Wright, Wozniak’s story illustrates the loss and futility of war.

While the group would have liked to see more private donations, they said they were encouraged by how well local business and industry supported the project. They lauded Dave Shafto of the Rogers City Lions Club for his drive in moving the project forward. Any additional funds raised will be used for further improvements to the memorial, like benches, flower planters or lighting for the flag.

Jordan Travis can be reached via email at jtravis@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5688. Follow Jordan on Twitter @jt_alpenanews. Read his blog, A Snowball’s Chance, at www.thealpenanews.com.