Opinion Column: Local women fight to save history
Commemorating Honor, Inc. started being organized on October 16, 2021. The president of the local Robert E. Lee Chapter, UDC, Debra Barta had negotiated a deal with the city of Lexington to remove the Confederate Monument after months of protest in Lexington. The City of Lexington had sued the UDC chapter and the County to remove the monument. With no funds to fight a court battle, this was the UDC chapter's way of saving the monument, and keeping it from ending up in a storage yard…like most of the others. The monument was removed on October 16, 2020 and delivered to safe storage in Forsyth County.
Toni London filed the paperwork with the state of NC and the IRS to form a Nonprofit dedicated to Historic preservation, education, and establishing a Veterans Park to honor all Veterans and become the permanent home for the memorial. The Robert E. Lee Chapter, UDC agreed with letting the members of the nonprofit fund the project. Commemorating Honor, Inc. Was officially recognized on December 3, 2020.
After a few months searching for property, Toni London found James and Hilda Goins. They refused to sell property to Commemorating Honor, Inc., but insisted on donating property to the Nonprofit for the park. The park name was chosen by Toni London, Mary Boone, and Debra Barta. Work began in April 2021on Valor Memorial Park in Healing Springs off Highway 8. The property was overgrown with trees, and had become a dump site. Toni and Joe London, Kevin Barrier, Gilbert Futrell, Brian Simmons, Terri Moore, Steven Martin, Bobby Stroupe, Jamie Lee, Matt Green, Adrian Green, and Mike Wagoner all of Davidson County, worked at the park all summer to clear the trees, bring in loads of dirt, install electrical, build fences, build the monument base, frame sidewalk, plant trees, and many other tasks to make the park a reality. James Goins and the UDC were present most weekends. Through hot days and rainy days the work continued.
The fundraising was going on at the same time by the same people working on the park along with help from Kelly Jernigan, Mary Boone, Kristy Frazier, Kristie Green, Don Blacks AVW, Pandemonium Performance, Scallywaggs at Badin Lake, Midway Music Hall, and Sam Lamb had his own fundraiser for the park in Denton.
Many people came forward to help. The anonymous man that stored the monument donated all storage fees back to Valor Memorial Park, Gilbert Futrell graded and leveled the property, Zak Crotts paid for the ground compaction test for the monument base, Blacks Engineering donated the Engineer Drawings, Roger Bell dug the footings, Todco donated a load of mulch, several local businesses donated trees and bushes, Old North State Flaggers donated the flag poles, Shoafs Concrete’s owner Mark Walser, poured the base and sidewalk, Joe's Towing and Recovery of Mocksville brought the monument to the park and set it back up along with park volunteers, Hedrick Landscaping planted the grass, Adrian Green built the benches for the park, and Chris Goris made the park sign. Many local citizens were instrumental in the creation of Valor Memorial Park. Davidson County’s Confederate Monument was the first to be saved by the hard work of the people, and their donations.
The park was opened by members of Commemorating Honor Inc. and the monument was rededicated by the Robert E. Lee Chapter, UDC on Sept 18, 2021 with over 600 in attendance. The park is privately owned and maintained by members of Commemorating Honor, Inc. It is open daily to the public from dawn to dusk, and there are several security cameras. Members
work at the park on weekends. Currently work is underway to complete the sidewalk around the monument that is being donated by Blacks Concrete of Lexington.
Work is also currently being done to build a Veterans wall called the William Lee Davidson Veterans Wall.
Valor Memorial Park will host a Living History event May 14, 2022 that will include the Traveling H.L. Hunley Exhibit, Confederate, Union, and Revolutionary reenactors, military exhibits, artifacts, and much more.
For information on the park or how you can become involved email
commemoratinghonorinc@gmail.com
