
As a fifth grader at Sharpe Elementary School, Maddox Cope began work on a project that was very important to him. Now finishing his eighth grade year at North Marshall Middle School, the completion of his project to honor and remember Veterans was dedicated Monday afternoon at Sharpe Elementary.
“I wanted to honor all the veterans and I’ve seen other schools that have monuments like this and I figured that we should have one too”, Maddox said, adding that the idea also came from the Veteran’s Plaza at Mike Miller Park.
Also a part of his vision for this project is the brick walkway that surrounds it. When students are in fifth grade, they will receive a form and will be able to add family members who have served to the walkway.
“Anybody that served and whatever war fought or served in and the branch of military and what years they served”, Maddox said will be the information contained on each brick.
“Those bricks represent people we know at Sharpe Elementary”, Principal Jaclyn Reid said to the students. “Family members that have served in wars or have served in the armed forces…so these people are very special to us, they are connected to us somehow”,
The fifth grade class president and vice president laid a wreath by the memorial and the National Anthem was played. American Legion Post 236 Honor Guard stood at attention throughout the dedication and the bugle played “To the Color” as a new flag was raised.
Maddox is the son of Brian and Teresa Cope.
