Media Release

2:50 p.m.

ALACHUA COUNTY, FL - The Alachua County Community Support Services Department's Office of Veterans Services is proud to announce the new "Veterans Memorials in Alachua County" booklet.  The objective of the 32 page, full color, booklet was to locate, photograph and document each memorial. The purpose of this endeavor was to ensure these memorials are not forgotten and encourage citizens to visit each of them. The booklet was a cooperative effort by Alachua County's Veterans Services Office, Visitors and Convention Bureau, and Communications Office and The City of Gainesville's division of Cultural Affairs and many other organizations and individuals. Funding was provided by the Alachua County Bed Tax, paid by visitors to the County, through a grant program administered by The City of Gainesville.

In a joint statement US Marines, WWII/Korea veteran Bob Gasche and US Army Veteran and Alachua County Veterans Services Director Jim Lynch said, "As a Marine who fought in WWII on Iwo Jima and witnessed the U.S. flag flying over Mt. Suburachi and as a U.S. Army photographer with a tour of duty in Vietnam, we both have come to cherish the freedoms all Americans enjoy. Witnessing firsthand the cost of such freedom inspired us to ensure that those who gave their lives while serving our country are never forgotten. It took us several years of searching records, interviewing surviving families, speaking to veteran organizations, and reviewing historical documents before we realized how many memorials Alachua County actually had."

To view the booklet on line go to: http://issuu.com/alachuacounty/docs/alachua_vet_book_issuu  Click on the "Fullscreen" button at the upper left corner of the screen to increase booklet size.  Put your curser on the right or left edge of the booklet to turn pages.  The middle arrows on the page edge turn one page, the top arrows jump to the beginning or end.

If the booklet does not open, click the following link to download Adobe Shockwave Flash:

http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash

For more information, or to receive a booklet, contact Jim Lynch at 352-264-6740.

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