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A Sanford, Michigan, resident has pledged to rebuild the town's only war memorial after it was severely damaged by recent flooding, Detroit Free Press reported Monday.
During her conversation with the outlet, the resident, Kim Burgess, said she intends to see the fallen monument's reconstruction through, even "if it takes us 10 years." For Burgess, restoring the commemorative space is a means of honoring the veterans for whom it was created, including her son, former United States Marine corporal Ryan Burgess.
"We're gonna build this thing again," Burgess told Detroit Free Press, referencing the memorial's remains. "If it takes us 10 years, we're gonna do this for our veterans. We want these veterans to know that we still love them. We still care for them."
The Ryan Burgess Memorial Foundation, a nonprofit organization launched after Burgess' son was killed on duty in December of 2016, led initial efforts to build the Sanford Memorial Flagpole Monument. Unveiled in 2018 and dedicated to all those who have served in branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, the monument stood until last week, when record-breaking floods destroyed buildings and prompted widespread evacuations across Sanford and Midland, Michigan.
Speaking to Detroit Free Press about her first time visiting the memorial once most of it had been washed away, Burgess said she was "devastated" and explained why the loss meant more than material damage.
"I got to thinking, you know, we did not lose a building. This is more about PTSD and memories and war. It's a place where veterans can go and sit and think about a friend they lost over there or a relative," she said. "That's what we lost. It wasn't a house. It wasn't a structure, but it was a healing place. So that's why I'm so devastated, just devastated."
Burgess did not respond to Newsweek's request for comment regarding Sanford's memorial by the time of publication.
Thousands of Midland County residents were evacuated from their homes last Tuesday, following excessive rainfall into the Tittabawassee River breached two dams in the surrounding area. After the National Weather Service issued a flood warning meant to last 72 hours on Monday, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency, instructing all individuals residing in Edenville, Sanford and Midland to evacuate and seek shelter immediately.
By Wednesday morning, the river's water levels had reached unprecedented heights. Speaking at a press conference to share updates regarding the flood, Whitmer acknowledged its "major impact" on Midland County communities, especially given challenges already brought on by the novel coronavirus pandemic. In an additional update the following day, Whitmer said areas of Midland were submerged in an estimated 9 feet of water. No deaths or injuries related to the floods were reported.
