Veterans group authorized to add plaque to memorial south of the courthouse

Jasper County Vietnam Veterans, a local group of military service members, was given permission by the board of supervisors on Tuesday to add a plaque by the veterans memorial sculpture located on the south side of the county courthouse. Veterans Bud Pickett and Dick Couch made the request to supervisors.

“We’re wanting to put a plaque of the memorial out here on the south side of the courthouse,” Pickett said to supervisors. “The plaque would be approximately 24 inches by 10 inches and would fit probably right underneath the ribbon we put up there … We’d just like your approval to do this.”

Supervisors were overwhelmingly in support of the request and commended the veterans for taking care of the memorial. Supervisor Brandon Talsma said the board appreciates the group and everything they have done. According to the county’s website, the sculpture was created in the 1990s.

The original memorial was built in 1928 and was dedicated to veterans of World War I. However, local veterans and residents grew tired of the deteriorating condition of the memorial and pledged to have it replaced with a more fitting tribute. The new sculpture was created by Newton artist Nick Klepinger.

Depicting two soldiers in the middle of a battle scene, the sculpture is casted out of bronze. Klepinger worked on the project for more than two years. A plaque from the original sculpture has been incorporated into the new memorial. The project was kickstarted by a small group of Jasper County veterans.

With $15,000 of seed money gifted from the county board of supervisors, a committee raised more than $96,000 in private contributions and sales of bricks inscribed with names of veterans located around the granite base of the memorial.