Last year The Oracle published an editorial piece concerning the lack-luster condition of the military memorial created by WS alum Corey MacRae, located in Spartan Park. We wanted to acknowledge the hard work of those who took action and joined the effort to restore the memorial to its former glory. We made the call, and many bravely answered.
We would like to thank all of the people around the WS community that were a part of this restoration. The memorial was intended to honor those who sacrificed their lives to improve our own. Sadly though, this gesture went unnoticed for much too long. The memorial was reduced to sunken fences, untrimmed hedges and grass that grew sparsely throughout the once abysmal memorial.
The restoration of the memorial was an absolute necessity, and the new and improved version radiates with vibrancy. We are incredibly grateful to those who participated in the process because the new condition gives the memorial the respect it deserves. It gives our fellow Spartans the respect and admiration they deserve.  These fellow community members went above and beyond to honor our own Spartans and make this once “invisible” monument beautiful again.
Although great strides have been made in restoring the valor of this memorial, there is still much work to be done and we cannot stop now. Even if the current state of the memorial might be the best it has been since it was created in 2009, there are still touch-ups that can be applied to continue to improve its condition. We can all make a contribution to the preservation of an important part of our community just by glancing at it on the way to school, or while sitting outside in Spartan Park during lunch. We must take it upon ourselves to refurbish this project, whether it is uprooting the weeds that remain, trimming bushes or simply planting a few flowers.
It is imperative that as a community we continue to support MacRae’s project because should we choose not to, we would be traveling down the same path that led to the root cause of why it needed to be renovated in the first place. We must continue to unite as a community to convey to our own who have “made the ultimate sacrifice,” their families and even our fellow Spartans who have family members who are proudly serving this country that we will always honor and remember them forever.