Our Veterans: Service and Sacrifice | By Stephen A. Fasen
Any mission demands a determined visionary. That person must have the passion to sustain the mission and the character to give it purpose. The story behind the Windermere Veterans Memorial has both.
Bill Criswell was an iconic Windermere resident and veteran. He was a highly respected fellow Windermere Rotary Club member. Though one of the oldest Rotarians, we all found his nature and energy exhilarating, and his passion to serve in our community inspired and enticed us all.
While this story is not entirely about Bill, he is the DNA of our Windermere Veterans Memorial. It's important to share the humanity behind how the memorial came into existence.
During a Rotary meeting, Bill was discussing one of his favorite subjects. Like a dog with a bone, he often returned to the challenges he faced in getting a veterans memorial into “his” Windermere Central Park. He was a vet with a mission. Eventually, we got the message.
One Rotary morning, the subject came up again. Architect Stephen Withers and I gently tried to calm Bill's frustration over a list of why the park wouldn’t work as he envisioned. A lighted flag pole in a park location with no electricity was one. But as we perused the list again, we looked over Bill’s shoulder through the front doors of Town Hall. The space was there, as was a lit flagpole. We only lacked an additional team member to begin. So we called a fellow veteran in service: Mayor Gary Brunn.
We had a passionate design team of compatriots thanks to Bill's mission. An architect, an artist, and the Mayor rolled up our sleeves beside a visionary.
The funding came from a simple request to the people of Windermere. Individuals, families, veterans, and businesses responded to the call. Town support grew as design parameters evolved, architectural renderings emerged, and a fair political process ensued.
Bill's vision extended to the Memorial plaques themselves: they must represent service. A special group of bronze artists worked with the designer to cast each of these one-of-a-kind plaques that now belong to Windermere. Designed to represent the military branches and our country, to be viewed and touched, they became tangible stories about all who serve. At the dedication, an Air Force vet rested his hand on ‘his’ plaque. With a tear running down his cheek, he said, "I used to fly those planes." Generous contractors donated their expertise and talent. Determined installation teams erected pedestals and landscaping. The slow, but steady work finished just in time for the community dedication. At the flagpole's base, one final plaque recognizes everyone who helped to bring Bill's mission and vision to life.
The town dedicated the Windermere Veterans Memorial on Veterans Day, November 11, 2017. Bill delivered the pledge of allegiance. Veterans from each branch of service, some of them Windermere Rotarians, “stood to” before their plaques. Bands played, flags waved, people sang, and dignitaries spoke. The heart of our community came together in front of our Town Hall. It was a great day in Windermere.
It's said that “Old soldiers never die; they simply fade away,” but Bill is present whenever I touch the plaques at the Memorial Circle. His mission and legacy live on in the town he loved and served.
The genesis of the Windermere Veterans Memorial reminds us that the stories of our vets will only fade if we forget to show them honor. The monument is a tribute to those who serve and the veterans whose vision brought it to life.
