Veterans Memorial Park, originally known as Bicentennial Park, sits on a canopied green space with a direct view of Lake Beulah. Prior to the early 2000s, the park was simply a few monuments and a rose garden nearby. Towards the turn of the century, the Polk County Veterans Council, who had been involved with the upkeep of the park for years, shared their vision for what the park’s future could look like.
The vision this organization and the City of Lakeland both had when creating this park was to provide a tranquil green space that focused on remembering and honoring those who have served our community and nation. The dream was that one day the park would be a place of quiet reflection for veterans and those coming to pay their respects to those who served.
In 2001, the Polk County Veterans Council reached out to get involvement from Polk County law enforcement and fire department. With the help of these representatives, monuments honoring those who have served in local law enforcement and fire departments were erected and still stand today.
For each year of the last decade, a new monument memorializing those who fought for this nation across time has been placed in the park. This allows the opportunity for visitors to learn about each conflict that has taken place since Polk County’s founding and about the residents of Polk County who sacrificed so much for this country.
Today, Veterans Memorial Park is a peaceful place where visitors can stroll down the sidewalk that connects each monument and remember the sacrifices of our veterans. This park is a place of thanksgiving for what came before and a vision of hope for a better tomorrow.
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