Men on a mission

Al Wickoff (left) and Tom Whelan work on the tail section of the helicopter at Veterans Memorial Park Tuesday afternoon trying to run wire to get the lights working. The tough financial times are having an affect on the park's ability to draw visitors from out of state so some projects have been out on hold. (Alex T. Paschal/SVN photo)

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DIXON - They no longer serve in uniform, but their devotion to duty has not waned. Since 2001, members of the Veterans Memorial Park Commission have built, expanded and maintained the park at Dixon's western gate, off West Palmyra Street. Lately, volunteers have been working on the Cobra gunship helicopter, to make it even more realistic, commission Chairman Jim Hackbarth said. They are putting two mannequins in the cockpit - a pilot and weapons officer - to make it seem "like it's really getting ready to take off and get somewhere," Hackbarth said. In addition, the cockpit soon will glow red at night, as if the control panel were illuminating the compartment, he said. The group also has raised $15,000 of the $50,000 needed to pay for land to build a parking lot. The commission is selling memorial paver stones and accepting donations from park visitors, who haven't been quite as generous as in the past, thanks to high gas prices, Hackbarth said. "We're still out there kicking bushes," he said. The group has applied for a grant to help defray the parking lot cost, and a World War II re-enactment is planned for sometime in August. To help To learn more about Veterans Memorial Park, buy a memorial paver stone, or otherwise donate time or money, visit www.honorourvets.org, or call Jim Hackbarth, 815-284-1619.