Anchorage Veterans' Memorial renovation: showing community support for sacrifices made.

• Author: Sharpe, Margaret
• Position: SPECIAL SECTION: Corporate 100

It was 26 years ago when Vietnam veteran Tim Benintendi was appointed to the Veterans' Action Committee by Mayor Tony Knowles, also a Vietnam Veteran. The committee was tasked with planning, designing and fundraising for a new Anchorage Veterans' Memorial. The original memorial was on L Street between Ninth and 10th avenues, and was constructed and dedicated in 1952 by Spenard VFW Post 1685. The improved memorial was to be a more substantial symbol for the increasing veteran residents, given Anchorage's robust growth since the 1950s. The result was the memorial we have today on the park strip--on I Street between Ninth and 10th avenues.

Fast forward to 2007, and Benintendi returns. Then Mayor Mark Begich appointed a Blue Ribbon Task Force to address complaints about the deteriorating condition of the memorial at a time when Alaskans were becoming casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Benintendi, as a two-tour Vietnam veteran, understands the value of such public symbols. "I think this town needs to keep its memorial in very fine shape. We've had three wars since Vietnam-four actions if you count Grenada," he says.

The Task Force determined a plan for the renovation, which called for the relocation of the Purple Heart monument; adding a Fallen Warrior statue consisting of boots, helmet and rifle; and adding two sculptured screen panels designed by the artist team of Shala Dobson and Jim Dault. The cost is estimated to be $1.5 million.

In 2010, the Anchorage Veterans' Memorial Committee was formed, of which Benintendi is chair. "We have raised some money from the state, and the city has bonded for some money. Then the Rasmuson Foundation came through with a large donation, and the Atwood Foundation. We've raised a lot of money from individuals and companies of all sizes."

Goal Almost Met

After three years, the Committee is closing in on its goal. "Now we are down to needing $140,000 or less," says Benintendi. "In early December 2012, the Rasmuson Foundation came back again and gave us a $100,000 challenge grant--dollar for dollar." This means that the foundation will match every dollar the Anchorage Veterans' Memorial Committee raises from now up to June 30 this year. "I'm pretty confident we'll have all that money raised by the target: June 30."

The committee joined with the Anchorage Park Foundation to help with fundraising and project management. "We didn't want to go out and form our own 501(c)3, so we became a subaccount of theirs,"...