LAKE PARK— Residents of Lake Park gathered Saturday morning to celebrate the long-anticipated dedication of the Tom’s Pond Veterans Memorial—a monument honoring the sacrifices of U.S. service members past and present.

The event, held on Armed Forces Day, marked the completion of nearly two decades of planning from community members, city leaders, and veterans’ advocates. From its first discussions in 2007 to its formal planning in 2015 and groundbreaking in 2016, the project was a labor of love for the city.

“We’re here today to celebrate those veterans and to honor them and especially to honor this memorial that the city of Lake Park has put together,” said Dan Bremer, a Marine Corps veteran and longtime community leader.

Saturday’s ceremony featured patriotic music, a presentation of colors by the Moody Air Force Base Color Guard, and remarks from local officials, clergy, and veterans. Special tribute was paid not only to service members, but to the families who stood behind them.

The keynote address was delivered by Larry Hauser, a retired U.S. Air Force master sergeant and former pastor of Lake Park Methodist Church. Reflecting on the meaning of the day, Hauser connected the new memorial to the broader purpose of Armed Forces Week.

“Every man or woman who signed their life on the dotted line, raised their right hand and swore an oath that they would be willing to give their life for the freedom of this wonderful country which we live in,” Hauser said.

City officials also used the moment to recognize the community’s involvement in making the memorial possible, from private donations and engraved brick purchases to city council action and SPLOST funding support. Plans to expand the memorial are underway, including six flagpoles representing each branch of the military.

The finished project now serves not only as a tribute to veterans but as a place of pride and remembrance for generations to come.