KSHB 41 reporter Claire Bradshaw covers eastern Jackson County, including Blue Springs and Independence. Share your story idea with Claire.
A few years ago, Army veteran and John Knox Village resident Steven Kilde was swapping stories with another veteran, as soldiers do. He said it was then that he heard another story from a veteran widow about her husband.
“I asked her if she's visited, where is he at, and all that stuff. And then if she went to visit him and thinking, how many other spouses do we have here who have lost their husbands and they don't have a place where they could actually go to talk to them,” said Kilde.
Kilde decided then that John Knox Village in Lee’s Summit needed a veterans memorial. For a few years, he discussed the idea with the resident veterans group, but it wasn’t until August 2023 that Air Force veteran Ronald Brohammer stepped in to help Kilde get his idea off the ground.
“I picked up a little sticky note past it, gave everybody a sheet of paper, and I said, you really want to do this? Write down on this how much you would be willing to commit to it. That day, I got pledges for $14,700 and I went then to the foundation and said, Okay, we've got almost $15,000 here. We're ready to go,” said Brohammer.
Within nine months, they raised more than $70,000 for the memorial.
It was built near the John Knox Village pavilion so all the visitors can see it. It features the branches of the armed forces and their respective flags. The main monument lists the wars and conflicts veterans were involved in. On the back side facing the flags, it pays homage to the Gold Star mothers and their families.
Director of Operations and Development Eric Scott helped Kilde and Brohammer with the logistics. Looking at the memorial today, these three men see the collaboration it took to honor its residents and community.
“We’re all about community here at John Knox Village, and this is another gathering space and a great way for the veterans to come together. It's amazing,” said Scott.
Kilde said there are 162 veterans at Lee’s Summit John Knox Village. Combined, a total of 1,252 years of service. On top of that, it is home to 78 veteran’s widows. Those statistics helped motivate Kilde and Brohammer to create this memorial.
“Just to look at it and say I had a part in it ya know? it's not for me. It's not for me. I consider that a living monument, something that we can pass on from generations to generation to generation,” said Kilde.
“It’s a place to come and think about what, what we have, what we've done, why it's here, why we're here,” said Brohammer.
On Monday, Nov. 11 at 11:11 AM, John Knox Village will hold a Veterans Day ceremony and dedication at the new memorial. All are invited.