Hundreds came to help Hobbs and all of Lea County unveil the Hobbs Veterans Memorial Park on Monday, May 30. The dream of a special site to honor all soldiers, those fallen and those still serving, is now a reality.
A reception at the National Guard Armory followed the one o’ clock dedication ceremony.
The Hobbs Veterans Memorial Park is located at 5120 West Jack Gomez Blvd. This site was formerly a part of the Hobbs Army Airfield that was decommissioned in 1948. A great deal of patriotic history surrounds the land on which the memorial stands, and remnants of buildings located on the airfield still remain on the surrounding golf course.
At the dedication ceremony Hobbs Mayor Sam Cobb commented about the importance of having a patriotic memorial, especially for youth, to honor all veterans. He said, “The price of freedom is not free, so it takes sacrifices by men and women in our country to make sure that continues to happen. So many of them they gave up so much of their time and many of them gave up life and limb so we want to continue that respect going for those men and women that did that and it’s important for those of us of an older generation to have these types of things so we have a place to bring young people.”
Hobbs City Manager Manny Gomez, who himself is a veteran, commented about the memorial, “This site is dedicated to the memory and honor of great men and women. It is a place for our youth to learn the history of their nation, families to pay honor to our nation’s veterans, and veterans to be recognized and pay honor to themselves.”
In a recent press release (PDF) Meghan Mooney, Director of Communications for the City of Hobbs stated, “This memorial will be a place to celebrate and thank our veterans, to pay respect and to honor those we have lost and those still with us, as well as those currently serving.” Today Lea County serves over 8,000 veterans.
The Vision of City Commissioner Dwayne Penick
District 5 City Commissioner and United States Army Veteran Dwayne Penick is the person responsible for having the vision for the memorial park. Commissioner Penick said about bringing his vision to a reality, “This project has been my passion the past 3 years. The sacrifices given by our veterans and their families can never be repaid, but memorials like this one will educate the generations to follow and encourage strong patriotism for all ages. As a veteran, I have been honored to serve on the Veterans Memorial Committee alongside other veterans and outstanding City Staff. I am forever grateful for the support this community gives to our nation’s veterans.”
The Hobbs Veterans Memorial Park has been in the works for over a year at a cost of $1.8 million. Three hundred thousand was funded by Lea County and the remainder by the City of Hobbs. The City of Hobbs Veterans Advisory Board will oversee the maintenance and everyday functioning of the park. The board’s activities will include the carving of names on stone slabs at the memorial.
The City of Hobbs has created a documentary about the site of the memorial and its importance. A video of the dedication ceremony is also available for all to enjoy.
