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Indiana Veterans’ Home honors fallen soldiers with new monument

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) – In an effort to honor those who fought and died for the United States, one man has created a monument that will be recognized for years to come.

The Indiana Veterans’ Home has received an early Christmas gift that will go down in history.

Standing almost 20 feet tall, a statue of the Battlefield Monument was created by Mark Kuszmaul. He said there is no other place that he would have donated it.

“Thought it would fit in great with all the soldiers and stuff. Good way to say thank you [and] give something back to them,” said Kuszmaul.

The Battlefield Monument was designed as a symbol of admiration for all the fallen soldiers. The monument is a constant reminder of those who’ve made the ultimate sacrifice.

“I’m not a veteran. My…dad was World War II. think it will remind a lot of people what they sacrificed,” said Kuszmaul.

He also said the statue took around three years to build and is made up of sheet metal welded together.

The statue shows an inverted rifle stuck in a pair of boots, a helmet placed on top, and a dog tag hanging from the rifle.

One resident, Roger Ford, said it is important for us to remember all of those who fought to help instill some of the principles of America.

“I think sometimes when we talk about the veteran, we just think about the men, sometimes, we forget about the women that served,” said Ford. “And they, their roles, were just as important than the guys.”

Ford says this statue will forever resemble how fighting for America is a role that only the strongest soldiers can uphold.

“We have been teasing saying those boots are a little too big for us,” Ford said. “But then again, those shoes in a sense are too big to fill.”

In remembrance of all of fallen soldiers and the family they have left behind, this monument will forever be a place that recognizes the sacrifices they made for America.