ROGERS -- Ronnie Prophet leaned against a brick wall with red eyes as he looked at names etched into granite slabs at the Rogers Veterans Memorial Wednesday.
About 100 people attended a grand opening for the memorial at Veterans Park.
Mayor Greg Hines said the memorial is a symbol for the support Rogers gives to veterans.
"This generation has made an amazing sacrifice for the war on terror," Hines said. "Because of technology more are coming back to us alive but they are coming back fractured. We want want them to know we stand behind them every day."
Prophet's stepson's name, B. Leigh Curtis, is the last of 70 names etched on the memorial.
Curtis, 31 served in Afghanistan and Iraq, said Jennifer Prophet, Curtis' mom and prophet's wife. He died in 2013 while stationed at Fort Campbell in Kentucky, she said.
The cause of his death was colon cancer, Prophet said. She said Curtis was a major in the Army at the time of his death.
"It is painful to see his name," Prophet said as she teared up.
Granite slabs inscribed with the names of veterans hang on a 6-foot brick wall at the memorial site. A 10-foot statue of a soldier also sits in the middle of a roundabout on East Veterans Parkway. The roundabout is near the west entrance of the park.
Third District Rep. Steve Womack, R-Rogers, attended the ceremony Wednesday. The first steps to build a memorial were taken by Womack while he was mayor of Rogers.
"It is a culmination of many years of work by a lot of people to make this a special place," Womack said. "It only makes sense that the center of this park be a reminder of the people who served our country. It will be the first thing you see when you enter this park."
The memorial also is part of a $3.5 million renovation for Veterans Park. The renovation includes work on soccer fields and the installation of a sod field.
"We have 10 fields that can be filled with adults and kids playing games," Andrea Brinton, Rogers park director, said.
Brinton said the park will draw people from the region to Rogers for tournaments.
The fields also were designed for lacrosse events, Brinton said. She said the University of Arkansas Lacrosse Club will play a game at the park later this month.
Steve Cochran, NWA Lacrosse Club member, said he approached the city about offering Lacrosse options years ago.
"Lacrosse is the fastest growing team sport in the United States," Cochran said. "It is a chance for Rogers to be a part of that growth."
Walmart and other area businesses draw people to Northwest Arkansas from across the country, Cochran said. He said some of these families want a place to play lacrosse.
Cochran said renovation of the park will allow for more opportunities for lacrosse camps and programs in the future.
NW News on 11/12/2015