Committee to break ground for Veterans Memorial on May 30

The memorial will be located at the corner of South Main Avenue and East Third Street in Tea. Above is a perspective drawings of what is planned for the Veterans Memorial in Tea.

The Tea Veterans Memorial Committee is sending out invitations for their Memorial Day event that includes the groundbreaking for a new Tea Veterans Memorial.

The Memorial will honor over 300 veterans of the Tea Area, both living and fallen, according to a press release from the Tea Veterans Memorial Committee. The time-span of veterans to be honored range from the Civil War up to the most recent honoree, who fought in the Afghanistan War.

“As citizens of this great country, we have an enduring responsibility and obligation to show our gratitude to all the men and women who have served and sacrificed so much on our behalf, to protect and defend our country and the precious freedom that we enjoy,” said Kristen Daggett, secretary of the Tea Veterans Memorial Committee.

A local committee was formed in 2019 to make the Memorial a reality. It originally consisted of six people. Today, the committee has grown to over 25 active members, Daggett said. They have currently raised $82,000 of their $150,000 goal, and will further reduce the cost through numerous “in kind” donations, the press release said.

“We are grateful to the City of Tea for the donation of land,” Daggett said.

The committee has done many events over the last three years to raise money for the Veterans Memorial; they include a change war at the Tea Area School,

BINGO events, raffles, shirt sales, aluminum can collection, zombie walk and more.

Memorial Day activities will start at 9:30 a.m. on May 30, with a program at the Tea American Legion, followed by the groundbreaking for the new Tea Veterans Memorial at noon, and a social hour back at the Legion.

Lincoln County Commissioner Jim Schmidt will be keynote speaker for the event, and they will be giving away two pavers at the groundbreaking ceremony that were donated by the Leonn Brune family and Kyle Huinker with Farmers Insurance.

“It has been amazing to see the community of Tea come together to make this dream a reality,” Daggett said. “I have been humbled by every donation.

Dedication for the memorial will take place in November of this year, on Veterans Day.