Deadline for memorial plaques for Hartsville Veterans Memorial ceremony is Aug. 20
by JIM FAILE
The deadline for purchasing one of the memorial plaques that will be mounted on the inside walls of the Hartsville Veterans Memorial and having it installed in time for the Nov. 11 dedication ceremony is Aug. 20.
All paperwork and payments must be in to the Hartsville Planning Department office by close of business on that day in order to have one of the 4-inch-by-9-inch black granite plaques mounted in honor or in memory of a veteran.
That much lead time is necessary in order to allow time for reviewing applications for authenticity, proofing, having the plaques prepared and etched and proofing the final product, according to Judi Elvington, who is heading the marketing effort for the Hartsville Veterans Memorial Committee.
“There’s a lot of work to do beforehand,” Elvington said. “That’s why we need that lead time to be ready for November.”
Applications for plaques are available at the planning office at 145 W. Carolina Ave., or call Sherrie Griggs at (843) 383-3009.
The city is selling the plaques on a first-come-first-served basis.
Each plaque will include the name of the veteran being honored, his or her rank, branch of service and the conflict in which he or she served. Space will be available for an additional charge for a photograph of the veteran and one to two medals awarded to the individual.
Prices for the plaques range from $295 to $375 depending on content. The veteran honored must have some tie to Hartsville or Darlington County.
No more than one veteran may be honored on a plaque, and applicants must provide proof of the veterans honorable discharge from the military (DD214 form) or its equivalent.
The memorial includes space for 420 of the plaques. The city will continue to sell plaques after the Nov. 11 ceremony until all are sold. Each time one of the five monument walls is filled with memorial plaques, a separate ceremony commemorating the event will be held.
The City of Hartsville is selling the plaques to help pay for the cost of the memorial.