Washington, D.C. man leaving a legacy with land donation to Somerset County's Patriot Park
The Patriot Park Foundation recently received a donation valued at more than $26,600 for the development of the Gold Star Memorial Plaza.
David Schmucker, of Washington, D.C., donated 6.97 acres for the development of Patriot Park near Shanksville. Randy Musser, who is president of the park, said that the donation was critical to the development of the park and the centerpiece Gold Star Memorial Plaza.
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"Without this property," Musser said, "we would've had to make some serious changes, so it was critical to be able to pick that up."
The plaza is to be paved with bricks and include a monument in the center for the 7,000 servicemen and women who lost their lives during the global war on terrorism.
"He was moved by what we wanted to do there," Musser said of Schmucker. "He was happy to participate."
Schmucker lived on the property in a house nearby as a child. He said his family owned the property since the 1940s.
He purchased the land from his uncle about five years ago and, when Musser called him, he immediately decided to give it to the foundation.
"Before he even asked me, I said, 'How about I donate all that land to you?'" Schmucker said.
"I just turned 71 yesterday, and I was thinking about leaving some kind of legacy instead of just a headstone. I thought, 'Here is something to leave in perpetuity that is nice for the country' ... It's a wonderful thing to support."
Patriot Park closed for the season
The park is now closed for the season. It is to reopen in May.
Approximately 20 volunteers gathered in the park earlier this month to retire the Field of Heroes Flag Display.
Central City VFW members provided an honor guard to assist with the retirement of the flags that are not able to be reused next year.
Patriot Park Foundation members are working on the additional elements to be added to the park for 2022.
Musser said he hopes to have a dedication ceremony around Memorial Day.
"We are hoping to acquire (global war on terrorism) military equipment that will be displayed at the park," he said.
Musser added that the foundation exceeded the fundraising goal this year by $15,000.
"It's an indication of what people think of what we're doing out there."
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This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Patriot Park Foundation receives land donation
