Veterans Tribute of Oakland Township, Michigan

Introduction

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The Veterans Tribute of Oakland Township (VTOT) was built in 2018 to honor the members of the United States Armed Forces and all of America’s military veterans. The VTOT is led by a volunteer, unpaid board of directors who are all residents of Oakland Township, and was entirely funded by private donations. The Veterans Tribute was officially dedicated on July 31, 2018. It seeks to celebrate and honor the values of service above self exhibited by the members of the nation's armed forces, and to inspire others to serve.

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Veterans Tribute of Oakland Township, 2020

Backstory and Context

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A non-profit organization called The Veterans Tribute of Oakland Township (VTOT) was formed in May 2016 for the sole purpose of building and operating a tribute in Oakland Township to the United States Armed Forces and the nation’s military veterans. Ground was broken for the Veterans Tribute on August 30, 2017, and dedication of Phase I of the project was held on July 31, 2018. Nearly 1,000 people attended the dedication ceremony.

All funding for the project was raised through private donations from individuals, businesses and organizations. A five-acre parcel of land on Adams Road between Dutton and Silverbell roads was donated to the Township of Oakland by the Moceri family. The Veterans Tribute of Oakland Township raised all the necessary funds for the construction of the Tribute and established an endowment fund to ensure its perpetual maintenance and upkeep.

The Tribute’s focal point is formed by six 14-foot-tall, etched glass panels, representing each of the military services – Army, Marines, Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force, and Merchant Marines—placed in order of their dates of commission. Personalized brick pavers form a plaza around the monuments. Architect Steven McKay created the Tribute’s inspirational design, and Donald C. Westphal & Associates designed the site’s landscaping.

Since it opened to the public, the Veterans Tribute of Oakland Township has been the location of community observances of Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Veterans Day. It is also available on other dates for events hosted by local civic and patriotic organizations.

Sources

Shepard, Linda. “New Veterans Tribute Will Deliver Sense of Hope,” Rochester Post, May 31, 2016.

Peck, Andrea. “Oakland Township to Build Tribute to Veterans,” The Oakland Press, November 8, 2016.

Peck, Andrea. “Veterans Tribute to Host Groundbreaking Ceremony,” The Oakland Press, August 15, 2017.

"Building the Veterans Tribute of Oakland Township, Brick by Brick," Rochester Media, April 6, 2018.

Peck, Andrea. “Veterans Tribute of Oakland Township Hosts Dedication Ceremony,” The Oakland Press, August 1, 2018.

Shepard, Linda. “Veterans Tribute Dedicated,” Rochester Post, August 14, 2018.

Image Sources(Click to expand)

Deborah Larsen