Site preparation work at the Cherokee County Veterans Park is now under way. This photo shows the grading and drainage work done so far as well as the retaining wall. After years of inching towards the finish line, members of the committee overseeing fundraising and planning for the Cherokee County Veterans Park are starting to take much longer strides.

Drive by the vacant parcel on South Logan Street where the park will be situated and you’ll likely notice the signs of activity — the parcel has been graded, drainage work has been done and a retaining wall has been installed. While it will take several more months for the park to take shape, the committee already has purchased the most important parts of the monument to Cherokee County veterans — including the stone walls that will bear the names of the thousands of county residents who have donned a uniform in service of their country since World War I.

The stone is being stored off site by the manufacturer until it’s ready to be placed.

Though it will take more time and fundraising on the committee’s part to engrave the current crop of more than 10,000 names in the stone, organizers currently expect all the pieces — even if they’re blank — to be in place by next Memorial Day.

“That’s the date we’re working for,” said Linda Brown, co-chair of the committee. “God willing.”

The effort to honor Cherokee County’s veterans has been in the works since at least 2003.

“We may be slow,” Brown said, “but we’re tenacious.”

More than half the money needed for the $500,000 project has been raised, but fundraising has been slow. Brown thinks donations will pick up once major work at the site becomes visible in the coming months.

“We still have a long way to go and we still need community support,” said Cherokee County Veterans Affairs Officer Todd Humphries. “But we can see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

The list of names that will be engraved on the wall will come from the Veterans Affairs Office records of veterans and honorably discharged servicemen and women dating back to World War I.

There currently are more than 10,000 names and Humphries said his office has been receiving about 10 to 15 new names each week.

When they’re engraved on the monument’s walls, the names will be organized by branch of service. An ongoing tribute, there will be plenty of room for new names to be added in the future.

Humphries, who serves as a member of the park committee, said he’s looking forward to the day the park opens.

“This should have been done 30, 40 or 50 years ago,” he said. “Every county should have a memorial to honor its veterans who have fought for and served their country proudly.“