PADUCAH, KY - During its regular monthly meeting Monday, Paducah's Civic Beautification Board was presented a check for $1,000 by Leon Dodge, Linda Ogden and Hardy Gentry from American Legion Chief Paduke Post 31. The donation will help fund new landscaping for the Korean War Veterans Memorial Monument in Dolly McNutt Plaza. Landscaping plans for the project have been created as a donation by Architect J. Patrick Kerr.
 
Les Evans, City of Paducah Park Maintenance Superintendent, will be coordinating the actual planting, hopefully this fall, following the installation of sidewalks around the monument.
 
“NOT FORGOTTEN” The Korean War Veterans Memorial Monument is located on North 6th Street between Washington & Clark Streets. The monument was officially dedicated on May 28th. 
 
The monument was designed and created by Paducah artist/sculptor Linda M. Ogden. The monument consists of three columns of black granite and includes a bronze medallion for each service branch, a map of the Korean Peninsula, and a relief sculpture made of bronze showing a collage of images reflecting the Korean War. A timeline of the Korean War is on the back of the monument. The monument stands ten feet tall and nearly 12 feet wide.
 
Ogden says, “When I was asked to submit a design for a Korean War Memorial, I wanted to create something that was understated yet made an impact. The overall design is strong yet modestly elegant. The bronze plaque represents the struggles, hardships and loss our service men and women endured. It's our obligation to never forget. ‘NOT FORGOTTEN’ is my way of paying tribute to their strength, courage and sacrifice.”
 
The monument, costing more than $60,000, was funded in part by the McCracken County Fiscal Court, the City of Paducah, and the tireless fundraising efforts of Leon Dodge and Hardy Gentry of American Legion Chief Paduke Post 31. Other generous donors were Paducah Bank, Paducah Lions Club, CSI Inc., American legion Post 236, Bill Schroeder, D.A.V. #7, Eagles Club #3135, Legion Riders #31, and Elks Lodge #217. Along with anonymous and other private donations, there were substantial donations of time, material and labor for the project.