Newberry Dedicates Veterans Memorial: Honors Service Members on Memorial Day
Town Leaders and area dignitaries unveiled the Newberry Veterans Memorial honoring veterans who gave all / Photo special to Alachua County Today
NEWBERRY – A long-held vision became reality on Memorial Day, May 26, 2025, as between 700 and 750 attendees gathered to witness the dedication of the Newberry Veterans Memorial. The ceremony honored local service members and celebrated the community’s dedication to bringing the memorial to life.
Newberry City Commissioner Mark Clark, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served two tours in Iraq, was a driving force behind the project.
“The whole experience was an absolute pleasure,” Clark said. “I don’t know anywhere else where business owners and residents open their wallets wide and ask, ‘How much do you need?’”
The idea for the memorial took shape more than two years ago, when Clark and then-Mayor Jordan Marlowe began discussing the concept. Marlowe encouraged Clark to lead the charge. Having visited numerous veterans memorials around the country, Clark envisioned a design that would stand out. He sketched his concept, which artist Paula Willis transformed into a detailed rendering based on their conversations.
The core committee consisted of nine members who committed to the long-term effort. “We reached out to people we knew, and although many were interested, the two-plus year commitment was more than some could take on,” Clark said. Community volunteers formed an ad hoc committee to assist with fundraising.
The City of Newberry committed $350,000 in Wild Spaces & Public Places funds as seed money to launch the project. Additional contributions came from brick sales, T-shirt sales, and large private donations. Veteran names were engraved on bricks and benches placed throughout the site. Each level of contribution, whether monetary or in-kind, was acknowledged with permanent markers on benches.
Clark praised many contributors but gave special recognition to Debbie Boyd. “She kept the records and kept us straight. We met every two weeks and she was responsible for making sure everything went as planned,” he said.
Boyd confirmed the Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) for construction, set by Oelrich Construction, was $589,912. “In some cases, people provided in-kind services to help offset the specified cost,” said Boyd, “which was very helpful.”
A standout feature of the memorial is a life-sized bronze statue of a military working dog, a Belgian Malinois, sculpted by Master Sculptor Lena Toritch of Salt Lake City, Utah. Both Boyd and Clark noted the level of detail in the sculpture and said Toritch flew in to attend the dedication ceremony. Another guest, a man from California who had purchased memorial bricks for his two sons, also traveled to Newberry for the event.
“The ceremony took approximately 45 minutes,” Clark said. “Middle and high school bands performed the national anthem and the fight songs for each branch of service.”
Many audience members were unaware that among them sat decorated veterans, including recipients of the Silver Star, Purple Heart, and Bronze Star with Valor.
Asked for final thoughts, Clark replied simply: “Semper Fi” — always faithful.
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