Last Veteran’s Day, local veterans and residents enjoyed a sneak peek of the long-awaited Peacoat Memorial, when it was unveiled during the ceremonies.
The memorial was then temporarily moved to the Orion Township Library, while construction of a granite foundation was being completed.
On Friday, Peacoat Memorial creator Joseph Zikewich and fellow veterans watched proudly as workers from Inch Memorial placed the bronze statue on its new, permanent foundation at the Orion Veterans Memorial.
The permanent memorial represents a long, painstaking effort on behalf of Zikewich and many other Lake Orion veterans and supportive community members..
Zikewich served on the U.S.S. Lexington during World War II, when it was struck by a Japanese kamikaze plane, killing many of his shipmates.
The Peacoat Memorial represents Zikewich’s dream to honor the men who lost their lives that day, and all other U.S. servicemen and women who died and were buried at sea.