CUMMING, Ga. — Members of the Cumming City Council decided Tuesday to tear down the Veterans War Memorial which pays homage to locals who fought in foreign and domestic wars.
“It came in serious disrepair in the last few weeks. The top is actually collapsing on it, so it’s become a safety issue,” Cumming Mayor Troy Brumbalow said. “We had the guy that designed it and several other monument companies come out, and every one of them said ‘look, this thing needs to come down.’ Basically, the foundation under it is not sufficient.”
There’s no word yet on what will replace the memorial at 301 Veterans Memorial Boulevard, but plans are underway for a new memorial just down the street at the future site for the proposed city center.
“We're going to be doing two memorials for public safety. I've been working on this personally for several years,” Brumbalow said. “In 1972, deputy Bill Cantrell and reserve deputy Larry Mulkey were murdered in the trunk of a patrol car, and that car is still here in the county.”
Rather than fully restoring the car, Brumbalow says the plan is to recreate it using pieces from the original.
“It will be in the 4th of July parade, Christmas parade, that kind of stuff,” he said. “But it's going to be at the city center at our new police department under an open roof area so it's visible, and it will have a memorial.”
Brumbalow says local businesses and community partners have already committed $20,000 to the project, which will also pay tribute to firefighters.
“I had a local gentleman that's got a 1953 Forsyth County firetruck. He wanted to donate it,” Brumbalow said. “They will all be open to the public. People can come look at them, and touch them, and sit in them. That's what we want them to do. We don't want them in a glass case where you can't really enjoy them.”
Want more Cumming news? Follow us on Facebook.