The Chautauqua Region Community Foundation staff celebrate the recent grant award to the Chautauqua County Hometown Heroes Veterans Memorial in Mayville. Pictured from left are Tory Irgang, executive director; Jake Schrantz, fiscal officer; and Lisa Lynde, program officer. Submitted photo

Since the Revolutionary War, Chautauqua County has been home to thousands of men and women serving in the United States military.

Recently, a group of residents from the village of Mayville and town of Chautauqua formed The Chautauqua County Hometown Heroes Veterans Memorial, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to raise funds to construct and maintain a veterans’ memorial in the Mayville Cemetery.

According to Jim Kurtz, CCHHVM board member, the memorial will serve as an everlasting tribute to local veterans.

“When we honor a veteran, we keep the memory of the men and women who honorably served our country alive,” Kurtz said.

In addition to a gazebo structure, the memorial will incorporate walls of commemorative bricks honoring all Chautauqua County service men and women. Eleven bricks have been purchased to honor the Medal of Honor recipients from the county.

A special effort is being made to honor those who were missing or killed in action.

A grant from the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation’s Fund for the Region is helping to support this project.

“Many of our local soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice are buried somewhere else, with no local memorial to honor their service. We hope this project will keep their memory alive for future generations,” said Tory Irgang CRCF executive director.

Donations to The Chautauqua County Hometown Heroes Veterans Memorial may be made by credit card at crcfonline.org or checks can be mailed to the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation, 418 Spring Street in Jamestown.

Forms to purchase a brick are available on the Hometown Heroes Facebook page, facebook.com/hherochq or by calling Board member Clara Dunbar at 581-1790.