VALDOSTA – David Guest was in the crowd witnessing the introduction of the Military Monument Tribute Project Monday, Veterans Day, in Freedom Park. 

City leaders gathered with veterans and other community members to view the six-foot-high, six-foot-wide monument that honors all military branches and their core values. A ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the occasion. 

The monument has been in the works for months. It sits on property once owned by Guest’s great-uncle and is off a road named after his family, he said.

“It means a lot to me for it to be here, he said. “For one, it represents all of the veterans and everybody who served, and then to be here on property that was at one time my family’s property, it brings it around and means an awful lot.”

Guest served in the Air Force for 20 years and 20 days from 1981-2001, he said.

The monument features war depictions and images of people who’ve served in the military through the years.

Representations commemorate historical events such as the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War, the Civil War, the Spanish-American War and both world wars.

Underlining each side of the monument are core military values such as service, commitment, loyalty and selflessness.

An eagle sits atop the monument as it grasps a fish.

The sculpture includes photos of Guest during his time in service.

To him, the photos on the tribute reflect the country’s greatness and freedom.

For Marty Haythorn, the monument’s lead artist, the core values mean the most, such as honor and duty, he said during a speech Monday.

“I think that in this day and age, I think that our country needs more of that. … I only hope that I can live up to those in my own life,” he said.

Haythorn began work on the project in late February with a call to the community for war images.

Workshops were held at the Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts to bond 250 images to one another.

Haythorn, along with volunteers, constructed the monument that now sits in Freedom Park near the Miracle League field.

After spending months working on it, he said it’s satisfying to finally be able to introduce it to the community during an event that included the presence of veterans.

“It doesn’t compare to what they’ve done,” Haythorn said. “I am so grateful for them. … They didn’t just defend this country but they defended the principles and values that this country represents.”

Earl Ingram, a longtime volunteer who helped craft the monument, has a photograph on a side marked for the Army.

Ingram served in the Army from August 1964 through December 1968 during the Vietnam War era and retired as an E-5.

He said the tribute makes him proud and goes beyond his expectations.

Upcoming additions are putting a hard surface around the base of the monument and possibly making the area wheelchair accessible for people, Ingram said.

The Military Tribute Project was a partnership between the Public Art Advisory Committee, the Turner Center and the Valdosta-Lowndes Parks and Recreation Authority.