Casco veterans memorial unveiled

VILLAGE OF CASCO - A patriotic parade kicked off a momentous occasion in the Village of Casco on the Fourth of July.

Two years of planning and fund raising have culminated with the dedication of a Veterans Memorial.

The loss of three local marines became the inspiration for the project.

Jessy Thiry, Luke Zimmerman, and Dean Opicka all died while fighting in Iraq.

Casco's American Legion decided something needed to be done to honor them.

"It really touches my heart," said Marine Corps Sergeant Darren Opicka.

Opicka says he couldn't imagine anything better.

"It's kind of extra special that it wasn't just a memorial for the veterans and the people that have fallen. It hits home for us especially knowing that this is also dedicated to my brother," said Opicka.

The granite structure is a symbol of the sacrifices made not only by the three local marines, but by all veterans who've served their country.

"Seeing the memorial is just a great honor," said Air Force veteran Rudy Hanamann.

Hanamann was the keynote speaker at Saturday's dedication.

"It's very exciting, words can't explain as the people that showed up just to honor and see our memorial and the unveiling of it," said Hanamann.

Post 319's Chaplain Don Pavlat was in charge of raising the money necessary to build the memorial.

He says donations continue to pour in from all over the country, and he couldn't be more pleased with the finished product.

"It's just beautiful. It was beyond our expectations, really. We thought we were going to have something nice, but I think it is by far the best I've seen and I've seen a lot of them and we're really proud of it here in Casco," said Pavlat.

A lasting tribute to honor past, present and future veterans.
 

"It's very important to us, as our little village of Casco," said Hanamann.

We're told the Veterans Memorial will be illuminated at night for the next 30 days. After that, it will be lit up until midnight every night.