Related: PHOTOS: Memorial Day ceremony; Boca Raton Cemetery — May 25
By Mary Hladky
Memorial Day is a somber occasion, honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of their nation.
And so it was on May 25 in Boca Raton, as about 300 residents came to the Boca Raton Cemetery to pay their respects and reflect on the freedoms that those lost to war preserved.
“To the families of the fallen, we offer our deepest respect and gratitude,” said City Manager Mark Sohaney, who served 37 years in the U.S. Navy. “To veterans, thank you for continuing the legacy of service and sacrifice.”
“Let us never forget their sacrifice,” said Mayor Andy Thomson, whose father served in the Vietnam War. “We pray for them and the veterans who served alongside them.”
Yet, in light of a nearly year-long campaign by Save Boca to preserve the city’s downtown campus from development, including the portion named Memorial Park in honor of World War II veterans, it is not surprising that some of the fraught politics intruded.
That was most apparent at a second ceremony held outside City Hall to unveil a new plaque — costing $3,778 — for Memorial Park.
It replaces one debuted in a March 24 ceremony hastily arranged by then-Mayor Scott Singer one week before he left office.
Veterans criticized it for containing inaccuracies, taking place at an event not open to the public, not making clear the original plaque specifically honored World War II veterans and for including the names of City Council members in place in March, and not those who actually created Memorial Park in 1947.
In addition to making corrections, the new plaque recognizes residents who worked to preserve Memorial Park, culminating in a March 10 vote in which residents overwhelmingly voted down the campus redevelopment plans.
Many of those attending the event were Save Boca members, including founder and now City Council member Jon Pearlman, and many wore Save Boca T-shirts.
For them, the plaque re-do was an acknowledgement of their efforts to preserve not only the name Memorial Park but also the open space and recreation facilities that it contains.
“The rededication of this park nearly 80 years later is a testament to how important it is to protect this special and historically significant part of Boca,” Pearlman said after the ceremony.
Once the unveiling concluded, attendees celebrated and gathered for group photos.
Thomson acknowledged that the history of Memorial Park has been largely forgotten, and he thanked residents for correcting that.
“I am so thankful to be able to dedicate and unveil this Memorial Park plaque today for the first time in a meaningful way so that everyone from this point forward knows that this city loves its history and we care about our country,” he said.
Sohaney said: “As we move ahead together, I believe there’s a shared commitment to ensuring this park remains a place of remembrance, reflection and respect for generations to come.”
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