CALEDONIA, Mich. — Just one day before Veterans Day, Caledonia High School revealed its new Veterans Memorial to honor veterans in the area.
"It's a way to make sure that they're never forgotten and always implemented in their community," said Veteran Memorial Wall creator, Brody Woodwyk.
Woodwyk designed the memorial and graduated from the high school in 2024.
He's currently enrolled in ROTC at Michigan State University and created the memorial after attending an Armed Forces luncheon last year with his teacher.
"One of the challenges that they gave students there was to go back to their communities and implement something that really honored veterans and had a way to show respect to them. I kind of just went to the drawing board, started coming up with different ideas and gave the ideas to my teacher, who fully supported it and made this come true," said Woodwyk.
The interactive memorial is inside of the high school and allows visitors to learn about veterans in the community. Sunday's unveiling began with a dedication ceremony followed by an open house for the community.
Vietnam veteran Gary Bloemers was one of the speakers during the dedication. He said the memorial means a lot to him.
"What it really means to me is how important it is for all of our children in grade school and on to recognize the importance of veterans, both who are currently serving, those that have served and those that have paid the ultimate price in order to protect and keep our country safe," said Woodwyk.
The memorial wall cost around $10,000. Funding for the project was raised through fundraisers and donations from the community.
Woodwyk said he hopes the memorial becomes a safe space for visitors and shines a spotlight on those who've served the country.
"When people see this memorial, I hope it kind of inspires them to take a step forward and do something themselves, to do anything to dedicate our veterans or just acknowledge our veterans," said Woodwyk.
If you are a veteran or know someone who is, you can add your name to the screen as well. That information can be found here.