NORMAN — The Field of Honor is getting a financial injection from the Richmond County Board of Commissioners.
During the June meeting, Commissioner Andy Grooms proposed donating $5,000 of the board’s discretionary allotment to the Field of Honor, which opened in 2024.
The idea and initial funding for the memorial came from Norman native Don Simmons, owner of the Asheboro restaurant Magnolia 23.
The Norman Town Council approved the project at its May 2023 meeting. Ground was broken 10 months later and it was opened in September 2024, featuring a monument bearing the names of 240 servicemembers — mostly from the northern end of the county.
The monument is fenced in with a brick front displaying the seals of the military branches, the town and the Order of the Purple Heart, with eagles mounted on each corner.
Sitting in front of the Field of Honor is a memorial casket in honor of Lonnie Hoopaugh and James E. Goins.
Another memorial was added to the right-front of the Norman Stage to honor first responders.
The town has hosted both Veterans Day and Memorial Day events at the Field of Honor.
Grooms said the initial monument is full and the funding from the county would pay for the creation and installation of a second one. He added that the last bid the town received for another monument was around $4,400 — more than a year ago.
In his proposal, Grooms stipulated that the money would go directly to the vendor, which is local, and anything left over would go toward the field.
Grooms any residents of Richmond County would be able to have their loved ones’ names engraved on the new monument for a small fee.
Town Clerk Glenda McInnis said the most recent cost was $3 per letter, but there is not yet a cost for the new monument.
