Gold Star Families Monument project nears completion at Memorial Park in Tupelo
Apr. 20—TUPELO — Families of those lost to war will soon have a spot to reflect upon their loved ones' sacrifices as the installation of a Gold Star Monument at Veterans Memorial Park in Tupelo nears completion.
The monument comprises a series of four panels with images of patriotism on one side and the phrase "A tribute to gold star families and relatives who sacrificed a loved one for our freedom" on the other. Two panels form a soldier saluting.
Donna Bagwell of Pontotoc is a member of Gold Star Families of Mississippi, a group made up of people who have lost loved ones to war. Bagwell's son, Lance Cpl. Marc Lucus Tucker, died in Iraq in 2005 while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps.
Bagwell spearheaded efforts to build a local Gold Star monument in 2017 after Hershel "Woody" Williams, a veteran from West Virginia and a longtime advocate for Gold Star Families, spoke with their group.
Approval of and fundraising for the monument fell to the Tupelo Veterans Council. The city of Tupelo provided site preparation.
The monument is the third of its kind in Mississippi.
Contractors installed the monument in early September. However, it was placed facing the wrong direction, making it impossible to see the monument's dedication without walking around to its far side.
Although Gold Star Families of Mississippi sought options to reorient the monument, including asking the city for financial help, Conventions and Visitors Bureau Director Neal McCoy said it was ultimately too dangerous for the monument and too costly to correct the mistake.
According to McCoy, contractors have been unwilling to take on the risk of reorienting the heavy monument. Monuments in Veterans Park are funded through private organizations, and the city of Tupelo did not employ the contractor that installed the monument. McCoy noted that no city employees were at the park when the monument was installed because it was a holiday weekend.
The Tupelo City Council voted unanimously to allocate $20,000 to help the organization reorient the sign, but because the organization could not find a willing contractor, $7,500 of the allocation will go toward completing landscaping work and the rest will be available to allocate to another project.
Although frustrated by the situation, Bagwell said she also understands why it can't be corrected. She said the mistake also doesn't diminish the monument's meaning.
"It is a beautiful monument, and it is in a beautiful park," she said. "It tells the whole story about their love of their country, their patriotism and their sacrifice."
Pam Presley Tolbert, the mother of Michael Brandon Presley, who also died while serving in Iraq as a Marine, said despite the mistake, the monument still stands as a powerful reminder to those who have lost loved ones in wartime.
"Things happen. It was all unfortunate, but I think it is going to be a beautiful monument when the landscaping is complete," she said. "It is a place for the whole family to go as well to honor the sacrifices of our loved one."
McCoy said contractors will complete a concrete pathway around the monument and finish the needed landscaping work in the coming weeks, weather permitting.
"We were grateful they chose to place it in Tupelo," he said. "We are grateful for the service that the Gold Star Families (of Mississippi) does."
