Michigan's new WWII memorial set for public dedication ceremony in Royal Oak
The site is in Royal Oak but organizers say this new memorial is for all Michiganders.
And though it’s called the World War II Legacy Memorial, swaths of donor bricks show that it’s more than that. There are heartfelt dedications in stone for those who fought not only in the site’s namesake conflict but also in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, even the Revolutionary War, and others for Michiganders who supported the effort yet never left metro Detroit.
On Thursday at 4 p.m., the public can watch a ceremony to dedicate the site after its first stage of completion, to hear fresh tributes to those who sacrificed, and to learn about plans for adding education components to draw school groups and keep history alive. The location is at the northwest corner of Royal Oak's Memorial Park, on northbound Woodward just north of 13 Mile Road.
One veteran who’s to get three minutes to speak is Art Fishman, 96, of Oak Park, who volunteered for the U.S. Navy in early 1945, at age 17, quitting high school in Detroit. Fishman was the first donor to buy an engraved brick, which meant he got his put front and center, dedicated to the Jewish War Veterans of Michigan. He’s their past commander. Two other bricks he purchased are set nearby. He was active in planning the memorial from the start.
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Touring the site on Wednesday, watching finishing touches installed, Fishman exclaimed, “Ten years ago, I stood here and said, ‘This is going to be wonderful. I’ll never live to see it but let’s get started.’ Now I’m so grateful to be here,” he said, with a laugh. After basic training and flying lessons in Detroit, he barely missed becoming a pilot with the Army Air Corps. So, upsetting his parents all over again, Fishman said he immediately enlisted in the Navy. Soon, he was sailing on a Navy destroyer in the Pacific theater. He was aboard the USS Robinson in 1945 during brushes with the enemy in the Philippines, Iwo Jima, Okinawa and China.
“I tell people, I never got to fly but I had wonderful duty,” learning engineering skills below deck, he said. Fishman won’t be the only vet from the war invited for the event. Others invited include stateside supporters of the war effort, including Frances Masters, 101, of Chesterfield Township.
“She was a ‘Rosie the riveter’ at Willow Run,” assembling bombers at the former aircraft factory that's now Willow Run Airport in Van Buren Township, said board member Debi Hollis, also of Royal Oak.
At Thursday’s event, Hollis said she planned to dedicate the memorial to those who labored on the home front during the war years, represented by Masters. Maten was set to make a dedication to the veterans, represented by Fishman. Her husband, John Maten, is president of the nonprofit memorial group.
Will Fishman live to see the memorial finished? In part, that depends on how quickly donations flow. Organizers have spent $600,000 but seek another $2 million to complete their dream of a site that not only honors the past but educates for the future. Engraved pavers cost $125 to $1,000. To donate, see www.michiganww2memorial.org.
There’s no special pill or diet behind his longevity, Fishman told a reporter. “Heck, I used to be a heavy drinker,” he admitted, and said he’d enjoyed many a coney-style hot dog. His wife died nearly a decade ago.
He said, “What keeps me going is being involved with things like this. This will be here long after I’m gone.”
Parking: Guests can park at the golf center parking lot located at the northeast corner of 13 Mile and Coolidge, with shuttle buses running to the site beginning at 3:15 PM. Parking is available for WWII veterans, original Rosies, those with handicapped permits and our speakers in the Woodward Avenue lot.
Seating: Bleacher seating will be available as well as a limited number of chairs. Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs if able.
Contact Bill Laytner: blaitner@freepress.com
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan's new WWII memorial in Royal Oak still seeks $2 million
