Bloomington Remembers Veterans has selected a beautiful site for the future Bloomington Veterans Memorial on the East lawn of Bloomington Civic Plaza, which acts as a central location for the community’s civic and cultural life. The memorial, designed by the accomplished firm, LEO A DALY, will honor and pay tribute to people who served in all branches of military service. It will be a place for remembrance, reflection and education as well as a site for larger events honoring people who served in the military. The memorial will recognize the courage and sacrifice of not only veterans themselves, but also the loved ones who supported them. The memorial will include an educational component designed to share the context of why these conflicts occurred and to highlight the personal stories of some veterans to better understand the journey and sacrifice of these men and women. The cost of the memorial will be funded through private donations from local businesses, residents, and other interested parties.
Key Themes
Honor
To honor those who served in a time of war and especially those who gave their lives serving their country. The memorial will demonstrate our community’s commitment to our veterans who have made such great sacrifices.
Reflection
To reflect on the sacrifices that have been made for our country. This will be a special place for all, particularly for those who have close family and friends who have been impacted by the wars and conflicts America has been involved in.
Education
To educate all who visit on how war effects everyone. Visitors will gain an understanding of the sacrifices that have been made throughout American history defending our country; both on the warfront and at home.
Community
To gather together to pay respect. This will take on many forms including Veteran’s Day celebrations, concerts, commemorative gatherings honoring specific individuals and/or historic events and more.
A Place to Honor and Share our History
Donors and volunteers of Bloomington Remembers Veterans are passionate about seeing this project become a reality. Bloomington is the fifth largest city in Minnesota, and unfortunately the only one of its size and impressive historical connections without a monument of this nature. Bloomington is an incredibly appropriate place for a Veterans Memorial because of its long historical military traditions that date well before the founding of the state. The community was founded in 1843 and later as a town in 1858. These traditions encompass not only the military connections, but also the relationship of the Native Americans with the soldiers and the settlers of the area.
For instance, an important military road went through Bloomington that linked the community with historic Fort Snelling. In the Bloomington Cemetery, 20 veterans of the Civil and US Dakota Wars rest. One veteran of the War of 1812 is also buried in the cemetery. Bloomington proudly shares that 64 of its citizens fought in the Civil War when the entire community population was less than 1,000 people. The linkage to the Native American community is also reflected in the Bloomington Cemetery, where many Native Americans also have a final resting place. This is a critical reminder that multi-racial, cultural acceptance existed here early in the city’s history.
Later conflicts always saw Bloomington residents stand tall and answer the call to serve. These brave service members of our great city deserve to be recognized and honored for all they have given and done to support our freedom. Members of Bloomington Remembers Veterans are truly honored to spearhead this meaningful work focused on honoring our local heroes.
Our Future Bloomington Veterans Memorial
About our Design Partners, LEO A DALY
Bloomington Remembers Veterans and the City of Bloomington are thrilled to be working with the talented firm of LEO A DALY, in designing and building the Bloomington Veterans Memorial. LEO A DALY is a leader in the design of the built environment, offering planning, architecture, engineering, interior design and program management. Since 1915, they have had an unyielding focus on design excellence to create exceptional spaces that enhance and enrich the human experience. Their award-winning, diverse portfolio includes projects in a wide range of markets in more than 91 countries, all 50 US states and the District of Columbia. Design of memorials holds a special place in their history. From serving as executive architect of the World War II Memorial on the National Mall to their work locally on the Fallen Firefighter Memorial and on restoration of various memorials on the Minnesota State Capitol Mall, they honor the service of others through design. For more information, visit www.leoadaly.com.