Blog posts
On March 3rd, CVMF and KSU “Leading with Honor” reception and panel program was attended by Cobb Veterans Memorial Foundation (CVMF) members. CVMF President Donna Rowe was one of the panelists at this event. Photos provided by CVMF Event Coordinator Patricia Hein.
Last Tuesday evening, February 1st, The Cobb Veterans Memorial Foundation’s Board of Directors (BOD) held a Greeting Dinner at the Piastra Restaurant on the Marietta Square for the newly selected Council of Advisors. The Council of Advisors were chosen to provide guidance/advise to the current CVMF BOD regarding the designing and building of a proposed Veterans Memorial to be constructed on Fairground Street in Marietta.
The CVMF Officers, Board of Directors and Special Staff consisting of Donna Rowe, Dave Hambrick, Curtis Williams, Al Cerqueda, Bob Morgan, Ralph Roeger, Carl “Skip” Bell, Mark Johnson and Tony Alexander, along with wives Gail Hambrick and Carrie Roeger enjoyed a fine evening of Italian cuisine and drinks with the newly elected Council of Advisors consisting of former Georgia Governor Roy Barnes, Cobb County Commissioner JoAnn Birrell, former Cobb County Commissioner Bob Weatherford, Cobb Community Foundation President Shari Martin, former Georgia State American Legion Commander Ed Asbury, Mr. Sunny Park and Mr. Kevin Marcy.
It was an excellent evening of comradery and enthusiasm which was integrated with an excellent presentation of the current status of the Veterans Memorial by the CVMF Director of Development Tony Alexander. The intent of the dinner was essentially a “meet and greet” asking the newly acquired Council to assist in networking and community involvement/awareness in the fundraising portion of the building of the iconic and historic memorial, so, it was a wonderful surprise when Mr. Sunny Park, upon his departure near the end of the dinner, made a substantial donation to building the memorial, which of course made the dinner even more joyous and successful.
Also, a special thanks to Margie Medlin and Patricia Hein for coordinating the very enjoyable and successful event.
(Left to Right): Patricia Hein, Organizing/Honorary Chapter Regent; Donna Rowe, President & CEO Cobb Veterans Memorial Foundation; Betty Westbrook, DAR Service for Veterans Chapter Chair; Jane Bentley, Chapter Registrar
ATLANTA – Wreaths Across America honors military service from the Revolutionary War to conflicts of today. President of Cobb Veterans Memorial Foundation (CVMF) and Vietnam Veteran Donna Rowe presented the 2021 ceremonial wreath on Monday, December 13th at the Georgia State Capitol Building.
Wreaths Across America is an annual event organized by the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) and held across the country to remember and honor those who dedicated their lives to protect our freedom. These are the men and women from all walks of life who made the ultimate sacrifice for the United States.
On Dec. 18 of each year wreaths are placed on the graves of America’s fallen soldiers. The Monday prior to the laying of the wreaths, a wreath hanging ceremony is held at the State Capitol building of each state.
“Today the Cobb Veterans Memorial Foundation was proud to join the State Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution in placing the wreath at the State Capitol for ‘Wreaths Across America,” said Donna Rowe. “To date the Wreaths Across America, since its conception, has placed more than 1.7 Million wreaths on the graves of our Nation’s heroes in more than 2,500 locations across our Country. I commend the DAR and State Regent O.B. McCorkle and DAR Service to Veterans Chairman Nancy Coleman for accepting this Mission to make us all remember and to honor those who have kept us free. On behalf of all the men and women I served with and all those who came before me and after me, who served and died for our beloved Nation and freedom, I sincerely thank the DAR for leading this holiday Project.”
Cobb Veterans Memorial Foundation was honored to be a part of the 2021 presentation with the women of the Liberty Hill Chapter DAR in Acworth and holds a shared mission to “Remember our fallen U.S. Veterans, Honor those who serve, and Teach your children the value of freedom.”
Get more information about Wreaths Across America and volunteer to participate at www.wreathsacrossamerica.org.
Donate here to help Cobb Veterans Memorial Foundation build a permanent memorial in Cobb County to honor all veterans year-round.
Donate below to join CVMF in building this beautiful veterans memorial park to honor U.S. Armed Forces and their families.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: NOV 19, 2021
ATLANTA, Nov. 19, 2021: Cobb Veterans Memorial Foundation (CVMF) announced Tony Alexander as the Foundation’s new Director of Development.
The mission of CVMF is to design, build and maintain a memorial to honor veterans of the United States Armed Forces so that the legacies of the men and women who served are remembered and can inspire future generations.
“The Foundation Board is extremely fortunate to have Tony join our team. He brings extensive talent and great enthusiasm to our goal of honoring all our Cobb veterans,” said Donna Rowe, President and CEO of Cobb Veterans Memorial Foundation.
Tony brings over 20+ years of experience in marketing, network television, and brand management for iconic clients such as the NBA franchise, Atlanta Hawks, Kaiser Permanente and other well-known brands.
Tony is very active in the community and is a dedicated advocate for the underserved, with numerous non-profit affiliations. Very passionate about the mission, Tony is dedicated to creating a legacy for veterans by giving this historic memorial a home in Cobb County.
Please join us in welcoming Tony Alexander to Cobb Veterans Memorial.
Cobb Veterans Memorial Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to design, build, and maintain a memorial to honor our U.S. Armed Forces and their families. Learn more or donate at www.CobbVeteransMemorial.com.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Tony Alexander
P: 770.951.7058
E: talexander@cobbvmf.com
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(Left to Right) Cobb Veterans Memorial Foundation (CVMF) Board President & CEO Donna Rowe, CVMF Director of Development Tony Alexander, CVMF Secretary Kathy Collar, CVMF Vice President Shelley O’Malley, CVMF Board Member Dave Hambrick, Cobb County District 3 Commissioner JoAnn Birrell, CVMF Board Member Emily Lembeck, CVMF Board Member Curtis Williams, CVMF Board Member Ralph ‘Top’ Roeger
(Video by Ross Cavitt, Director Cobb County Communications, transcription follows)
Hello Everyone, I’m JoAnn Birrell, your District Commissioner and I’m honored to be here today with the Cobb Veterans Memorial Foundation Board. We have an exciting project and they are partnering with Cobb County and the Veterans Memorial group here today and we are so excited to tell you about the project. It is going to be located on County property that would be a county park for future generations to enjoy and honor all of our veterans across the state of Georgia. Please join us in welcoming the Cobb Memorial Foundation Board and please watch the video and learn how you can be involved.
I always wanted to do something for my country and in 1942, I found myself in the South Pacific. ~Harry Kone, U.S. Marine Corps, WWII Veteran
I’ve always been proud to serve my country. And, to be a veteran, I don’t know whether I would be the same individual today that I would have been without being a veteran. ~SGT David Hankerson, U.S. Army
I don’t remember the flag much, other than in school, the Pledge of Allegiance, when I was growing up. But, when I was eight years old and I went to my Dad’s funeral, the flag took on a whole new meaning. How can we not teach our children about the sacrifice and our Country? ~Laura Armstrong, Father LTC Roger J. Bartholomew, U.S. Army, Killed in Action Nov. 27, 1968
You know, you don’t want to forget no matter what good, bad, or whatever. You don’t want to forget. ~SGT David Hankerson, U.S. Army
Cobb County wants to recognize those people that served this County, the State, and this Nation. And, I think it’s important for those veterans to see that appreciation in a monument style. ~Donna Rowe, CPT Army Nurse Corps
We need to say ‘thank you.’ We need to say thank you to veterans and their families. We want this memorial to mean that to every veteran. ~ Maj Gen James D. Bankers, U.S. Air Force
Democracy is not free. It comes with a price and we need to be thankful and let people know, not only in the past that we thank them for their service, or the present, but also future generations to come. ~Sen. “Doc” Rhett, MSgt, U.S. Air Force
I think this way veterans don’t think that they’re forgotten. They see the memorial and they know what I’ve done has changed something or done something and is bigger than themselves. ~Petty Officer Tiffany Ross, U.S. Navy
Hi I’m Donna Rowe. I’m the president of the Cobb Veterans Memorial Foundation. I want to tell you about this wonderful Foundation and what we’re about to do. We’re going to have a wonderful Memorial here in Cobb County right next to the Cobb Civic Center. This board is here to raise the money along with funds from Cobb County to make this the best Cobb Veterans Memorial and the best Veterans Memorial in the state of Georgia. We hope you join us. You can go to our website, CobbVeteransMemorial.com, and get more information and you can get our phone numbers on that site. Thank you so much, we look forward to working with you and having a celebration at the next Memorial Day.
(Shelley O’Malley, Vice President, Cobb Veterans Memorial Foundation) We’re very excited to build this memorial to thank and honor our veterans and the families of those who served; and also to inspire the next generation to lives of service and to unify our great State and great County, and the United States. We hope you learn more about the Cobb Veterans Memorial Foundation and Cobb Veterans Memorial at CobbVeteransMemorial.com. The memorial is going to be built to thank and honor our veterans and their families for their service to our Nation and also to inspire the next generation to lives of service. We hope you’ll join us.
God Bless America!
(Above photo left to right) Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, CVMF Board Member Gen. Curtis Williams, District 3 Cobb Commissioner JoAnn Birrell, CCRWC Chair of the Veterans Event Tina Kroske, CVMF Vice President Shelley O’Malley, CCRWC President Nancy Couch, CVMF President Donna Rowe, CVMF Board Member Bob Morgan, CVMF Secretary Kathy Collar)
At their most recent monthly luncheon, the Cobb County Republican Women’s Club (CCRWC) presented the Cobb Veterans Memorial Foundation (CVMF) with a check for $2000 to support building a world-class memorial for veterans in Cobb County. The donations were from a CCRWC fundraiser held in May 2021 to raise funds for the Cobb Veterans Memorial.
JoAnn Birrell, District 3 Cobb Commissioner, presented CVMF President Donna Rowe with a Veterans bracelet from CCRWC thanking her for her service and dedication to veterans of Cobb County and Georgia.
(Left to Right): Mike Plant, Atlanta Braves Foundation Board Member and President & CEO, Braves Development Company, CVMF President Donna Rowe, CVMF Vice President Shelley O’Malley, CVMF Board Member Curtis Williams, and Cobb County District 3 Commissioner JoAnn Birrell. Photo by Kevin Liles/Atlanta Braves
ATLANTA, GA: On September 14, the Atlanta Braves and the Atlanta Braves Foundation presented a $50,000 check to Cobb Veterans Memorial Foundation (CVMF) in a pregame ceremony at Truist Park. Several members of the CVMF leadership were there to accept the donation, including CVMF President Donna Rowe, Vice President Shelley O’Malley, Board Member Maj.Gen. Curtis Williams and Cobb County District 3 Commissioner JoAnn Birrell who is an avid supporter of the Atlanta Braves and the Cobb Veterans Memorial.
The mission of the Cobb Veterans Memorial Foundation is to design, build, and maintain a memorial to honor our United States Armed Forces and their families.
The Braves partnership will further this goal, as well as honor and support U.S. military veterans, educate and unify the community, and inspire lives of service for many generations to come.
“We are proud to partner with the Cobb Veterans Memorial Foundation to aid the construction of a lasting memorial to thank and honor our Armed Forces,” said Danielle Bedasse, Executive Director, Atlanta Braves Foundation and Director, Community Affairs, Atlanta Braves. “This partnership showcases the Braves’ continued support of veterans and their selfless service to our community and beyond.”
The donation from the Atlanta Braves Foundation will be used to fund the construction of a world-class memorial for veterans that will be located at 502 Fairground Street SE, Marietta GA. Cobb Veterans Memorial Foundation truly appreciates the generosity of the Braves Foundation and the organization’s ongoing support for veterans in the Cobb community.
When asked about the donation, CVMF President Donna Rowe responded, “Thanks to the generosity and support of the Braves, the Cobb Community is one step closer to honoring the men and women who served our Nation in the military and their families for the sacrifices they have made over our long history to keep us a free and safe country. The Cobb Veterans Memorial Foundation will be ever grateful for the Braves and all they do to make our County the best place to live for our over 60,000 Veterans and their families.”
Harry Kone is an East Cobb resident and Veteran of WWII and recently celebrated his 101st birthday.
Born on August 16, 1920, in Baltimore, MD and graduated from Mt. Saint Joseph High School in 1938. While attending the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, Harry met the love of his life, Marjorie.
After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Harry returned to Baltimore and enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and later found himself far away from home, in the Pacific. Injured in Guadalcanal, Harry was sent to New Zealand for treatment and later deployed to the Bougainville campaign in the Solomon Islands, where the Allied forces fought the Empire of Japan. According to the Marine Corps University, the Bougainville campaign was “one of the most resounding successes of the war in the Pacific” not only because of the coordination between the Navy and Marine Corps, but because this battle ultimately caused the Japanese to over extend their air units creating an exploitable weakness.
Harry received an Honorable Discharge in 1945, but suffered from injuries he received during the war. He then contracted TB and was told he would not make it, but his faith and love for Marjorie pulled him through. They were married, had three children, and shared 65 happy years together.
Harry’s life story is truly inspirational and a legacy that will live on in American history as a testament of love, courage, strength and faith to God, Country, Corps and Family.
To honor Harry and his service, the Cobb County Board of Commissioners designated August 16, 2021 as “Harry Kone Day.”
Harry is also a faithful supporter of the Cobb Veterans Memorial and one of the first to make a personal donation to help build this world-class monument to honor all Veterans and their families and ensure that their legacies live on.
You can learn more about Harry at the American Veteran Center and by watching the interview below with Rev. Richard Burdick of Unity North Atlanta, recorded before Harry’s 99th birthday.
This year, Harry’s birthday party was attended by a few close friends. Read MDJ story here.
The Cobb Veterans Memorial began its life as a tangible part of Cobb County’s future on July 3rd. The Cobb Veterans Memorial Foundation gathered Friday morning ahead of the July 4th holiday to unveil the signage announcing the memorial.
Attendance included supporters from the community; Mayor Tumlin from the City of Marietta; Cobb County Commissioners JoAnn Birrell, Lisa Cupid, and Keli Gambrill; as well as Cobb Veteran Memorial Foundation (CVMF) Board members to bring attention to the Memorial park, the work of the Cobb Veterans Memorial Foundation and to recognize its value to the local, state and national cultural landscape and explain to the crowd that the purpose of the Cobb Veterans Memorial is, in simplest terms, a tribute to service.
Notable statements were made by Commissioner Birrell, who announced a million-dollar item on the Cobb SPLOST agenda to help build the memorial; and CVMF Project Manager Brian O’Malley, who reinforced the need for unity and service to the nation as current events are fractious. More pointedly, O’Malley stated that his personal commitment, and that of the the Cobb Veterans Memorial Foundation Board, is to the veterans of Cobb County and “a labor of love.”
Brian’s presentation was followed by CVMF Executive Director Dan Valentine on the fund-raising effort. Dan explained that, while his intent was not to use this event for fund-raising purposes, the effort is very much underway. He explained that his immediate focus is to solicit high dollar contributions but that smaller givers are encouraged to participate.
Read more at the Marietta Daily Journal.
Givers can become a part of this mission by visiting the Cobb Veterans Memorial website.
