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Regular Joe
Group: Past PNET Supporter
Last Login: 8/15/2008 1:16 PM
Posts: 94,
Visits: 93
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Gentlemen,
I need some assistance and or ideas for a project that we are doing for the 17th Infantry Regiment Association. I'll give you a little history about the project so far.
Two years ago at our reunion, the idea was brought forth to build a monument for the 17th Infantry Regiment. The 17th Infantry Regiment has been around since the war of 1812 and has taken part in just about every conflict in American history. There are no major monuments to date in the US for the regiment, so we felt that it was time that there was one.
During the first year we had one man really busting his rump on the project. We got a nice level plot of land not too far from the Ranger Memorial at Benning and close to the Infantry Museum at Fort Benning. Now this is a great thing ... the monuments permanent home will be Benning, rightly so ...
Next we set up all of our tax free status, etc .. with the Government. and the IRS approved the highest tax deductible status for our project, which is a great thing.
Next we had an artist create a rendition of what we want the memorial to look like. Done, and it looks pretty good! Nice thing was this was donated to the memorial fund.
During the year we also started collecting donations from Association members for paver stones for the memorial. A paver cost $117 (this is to honor the 1st BN, 17th Infantry at Ft Wainwright, AK ... the only current active duty BN of the regiment)
So now at the 2002 reunion, we had the land, rendition, tax-status, etc and a nice start to our memorial funding. We talked about getting an artist to create a life size bronze buffalo for the center piece of the memorial. We all knew that to hire an artist to do this would probably be a considerable amount (guesstamation 75K - 100K). At this point we didn't think that it would be possible.
Within a few days of returning home from the reunion, I was flipping through E-Bay (I'm a E-Bay junkie) and believe it or not, found a life size male buffalo bronze statue for sale. It was being sold by an auction house in Kansas for $7500.00 !! What a bargain! I told the Officers about the auction and they quickly cut a deal with the auction house ... We saved a lot of loot on this deal.
Ok, now the past year, things have slowed down .. we were gunning for the dedication to be held at the 2004 reunion at Ft Benning, however we now have collected roughly 28K as of today (we have a little over 20K cash, minus the buffalo purchase) The Army requires that you have all monies up front before you break ground on any monument .. makes sense .. if they didn't do this, there would be a **** load of half finished monuments at Benning. Now we are estimating that it's going to cost us 90K to finish this project .. so we pushed it back another year to 2005.
At this point one of our members, who is a graphic artist is putting together a brochure to solicit corporate sponsors. 28K is a great accomplishment for an Association with about 750 active members and there is no way that will be able to raise another 70K on our own.. hence the reason for targeting corporations.
Now, a few things that I really need help with is any suggestions from any of you that have gone through this process already ... I was voted in as the Association's Secretary at this years reunion and I really want to see this thing through! Do any of you know of any contractors and or marble stone companies in or around the Ft Benning area ... I'm hoping that some of you have dealt with such companies in past memorials .. I'm looking for good references, etc .... Any other ideas on how to solicit funds for our cause?
Any light that any of you could shed on this process would be greatly appreciated by me and the Association. Like I said, it's important for me to see this thing through ... If I do anything for the Association, I want it to be this..
Here are some links to pages dealing with the monument
http://www.17thinfantry.com/memorial.asp
http://www.17thinfantry.com/index.asp
Thanks in advance guys,
Lightfighter Out
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Stare Master
Group: Community Supporter
Last Login: Yesterday @ 2:22 PM
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My question is will your Association handle this or will it be the Benning garrison staff? I would think that since it is being done on post officials on Ft. Benning would be responsible for the contracting and other particulars, with your Association supplying the money and the design.
If the Association is responsible, have you talked to the Infantry Museum? I would think they would be able to give you some references given the number of memorials on the grounds or across the street. Also, I would think you need to contact the Ranger Memorial Foundation if you haven't already done so. They can give you hints and references.
Good luck. BTW, one of your board members is lives not far from me. He is the most recent chairman of our 82nd Association chapter.
Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you, Jesus Christ and the American GI. One died for your soul, the other for your freedom.
"History teaches that when you become indifferent and lose the will to fight someone who has the will to fight will take over." COLONEL BULL SIMONS
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Regular Joe
Group: Past PNET Supporter
Last Login: 8/15/2008 1:16 PM
Posts: 94,
Visits: 93
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509Trooper,
Thanks for the ideas, I'm going to get with some of the guys that were originally leading this and see if any of these things were looked at.
On another note, I just received an e-mail from a former BN commander of mine that lives in the Benning area.. He tells me that the Officials at Benning are conducting a major campaign to move the Infantry Museum in a couple of years. The new location will be off post. Has anyone else heard of this?
Shook Out..
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