Chances are you drive by the Veteran's Memorial in Vidalia quite often, but have you ever thought about how it came to be? Thursday morning, the Auxiliary of the Veterans of Foreign Wars gathered at the site for a special occasion, and Mrs. Shirley Curl led the assembly. Curl and other members of the Auxiliary was there to accept the donation of flags from the Woodmen Life (formerly Woodmen of the World) fraternal order. Sidney Clifton made the presentation.

Curl also recognized Toombs County Sheriff Alvie (Junior) Kight, Fred and Denise Bacon and the employees of Walmart for helping keep the Veteran's Memorial maintained.

Original documents in Curl's possession show that the lot where the Memorial is erected was presented to the Woodmen of the World in 1949 by a Mrs. Sikes. The property was leased for $99 on a 99-year lease. When Walmart decided to build its super center in Vidalia, there was a bit of controversy over the property, but ever the patriot and one to stand her ground, Curl went head-to-head with corporate management of the mega store and won their hearts and the promise that the Memorial would not be touched for the remainder of the agreed upon lease.

The Memorial honors local veterans who have died in all branches of the Armed Services from World War I, World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam War and one name, Dustin Michael Wright, who was killed in the War on Terrorism.