Men on a mission

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