The new Batavia Township Park could soon be the permanent home of a memorial for veterans of the Gulf War.

Linda Fraley, Clermont County Auditor, presented a rough plan to the trustees on Sept. 20 that outlined what her group would like to do in the construction and placement of a memorial.

“There’s not too much happening yet, but I didn’t want you as trustees to hear about this somewhere else,” said Fraley. “I was approached by Dave Warman, who is a Vietnam vet. He’s talked to some people, and the gist is he’d like to put up some memorial to Gulf War vets. He wanted to know why we wait 20 or 25 years to do something. He would like to do something soon.”

According to a letter presented by Fraley, the memorial will be for all veterans of the Gulf War, which includes Desert Storm and the present war on terror. The idea is to create a timely and lasting memorial that symbolizes the conflict and recognizes the soldiers who are fighting in it. To this end, the hope is to use a humvee in a similar fashion to the helicopter used to memorialize Vietnam in Veteran’s Park in Union Township.

“He called me and asked if I would be willing to spearhead it,” said Fraley. “He knows that, in my position, I know a lot of people. He specifically mentioned Batavia Township, and I thought the first place to start would be getting the trustees onboard. We’re not asking for a decision tonight, we just want you to know the idea. He’d like to do something with a humvee.”

The trustees agreed that it would be a good idea, and that there was certainly land available for the placement of such a memorial in their park. The new park was purchased last year and is still under renovation. The first phase of renovation created a new township hall, walking trail, pond and soccer field. New phases are expected to take place in the upcoming years and can include additional walking paths and trails, nature preserves, picnic areas and additional sport fields.

“We will put it on the agenda,” said Trustee Deborah Clepper. “We’ll take some time to discuss it, maybe at the next meeting.”

Fraley said that the idea had been floated by various individuals in the county, including commissioner Bob Proud. Congresswoman Jean Schmidt had also been approached, as have several businesses, who have all voiced their approval and support of the project.

“They like the idea and would be onboard with anyone wanting to do it,” said Fraley. “There will be an artist’s rendition at a later date. We’d like to be on the schedule down the road to make a formal presentation. I’ve talked to a lot of people, and I’ve been surprised at how many of them have said it would be a great idea. Just talking to people, there seems to be a lot more enthusiasm than we thought. Dave then brought up the park here, and it seemed like a good location.”