By ANNA GILGOFF

Special to The Press

With the basic excavation complete, visible progress on the Northwestern Lehigh Veterans Memorial greets visitors to Ontelaunee Park as the project moves forward with measurable speed.

Ron Jerdon, Bill Dellicker and Donald Christ recently took an impressive step forward.

It was a matter of determination and sweat that inspired the threesome to install the memorial’s flagpole and hoist the flag as a noticeable sign of progress for the memorial.

“With the help of a bucket truck we were able to place it in the cement,” said Christ, chair of the committee.

“We just carried it and laid it down.”

Dellicker then gave credit to Jerdon.

“Ron arranged for a bucket truck from one of his job sites to help rig and lift the pole into the sleeve,” Dellicker said

Ron, of Jerdon Construction Services, volunteers as the memorial’s construction manager.

Setting the flagpole was no small feat.

“The 35-foot pole weighs 265 pounds,” Christ said acknowledging circumstances affected their decision to act.

“Confronted with the decision about how and where to store the flagpole so it wouldn’t get damaged, we thought the best solution was to install it in its permanent location since the mounting sleeve was already installed in the concrete base of the memorial,” Dellicker explained. “After some tense moments lifting and manhandling the 265-pound pole into the mounting sleeve, it was slowly tilted with the boom to the vertical position until it dropped into place.

“We borrowed a new American flag from the school district, so we could fly the flag at half-mast on 9/11.”

Pavers and a stone wall similar to the one surrounding the eternal flame near the park entrance, will enhance the pedestals that have already been placed.

Each of the pedestals will be equipped with a light except for the first in the circle.

“That one will hold a beautiful, brass eagle with a wingspan like this,” explained Christ holding out his arms.

Christ said the eagle was purchased from a shop in Atlantic City.

Impressed with the imposing size and appearance and discounted price, the committee moved quickly to secure it.

Looking forward is the “installation of a stone veneer on the concrete fence pillars, and installation of an ornamental steel fence,” Dellicker said.

“Eleven, six-foot granite panels have been ordered from granite quarries in Vermont,” Dellicker said.

“They will be engraved with the 2,459 names of our local veterans and 30 quotations which will add historical context and appropriate patriotic recognition for the veterans listed on the panel.”

Dedication is slated for Memorial Day 2022, but the committee is seeking donations.

“Fundraising is still a critical part of meeting our completion date as we are just over half of what is needed to meet our budget,” Dellicker said.

On Veterans Day, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 11, there will be a drive-through fundraiser to help support the Veterans Memorial.