By Donna Thornton/News Editor
Community leaders and local veterans and their families gathered on Nov. 6 at Ola L. Mize Patriots Park, adjacent to Noccalula Falls Park, for the ribbon cutting and dedication of the Gadsden-Etowah Patriots Museum.
The eight-sided structure will feature displays in eight window boxes, always visible to the public.
Patriot Museum Committee Chairman Claude Burnett said some electrical work remains on the museum. He expects it to be completed and displays ready by the end of the year if not sooner.
Burnett said one window will be dedicated to Etowah County’s Congressional Medal of Honor winner, Ola L. Mize. Others will contain displays from wars the U.S. has been involved in, with display space available also for schools and civic groups.
“This is not just for the military,” Burnett said. “This is for patriots.” He said the museum committee is depending on the public to loan items for display in the secured museum. Items on display will be rotated, Burnett said.
In asking for memorabilia, Burnett said if people have documents they would like to share, the museum committee would prefer to have copies, rather than originals.