Each pillar on the plaza features a quality and a local Veteran, highlighting their story and how they represent the chosen quality.
Community members in Upper Arlington are showing their respect for those who have served in the military by enhancing the memorial at Jones Middle School to create the Veterans Plaza at Mallway Park.
Erik Yassenoff, former UA City Council member, took on the project with the help of community volunteers and funding from the city of Upper Arlington, state grants and private donors. They were able to use the funding to restore an arch between the front pillars, clean up the greenery in the area and create a new space behind the pillars with panels that share the stories of UA’s Veterans.
“While the committee’s initial vision was larger and grander, we believe the final project is perfect for right now,” Yassenoff says, “and we hope that future generations will continue to expand upon the plaza to further recognize Veterans from the community.”
The five panels represent valor, sacrifice, integrity, duty and gratitude. Stories from UA Veterans can be read in the plaza, and the committee is working on the development of a website to host even more Veteran profiles.
“There’s a general perception that people from Upper Arlington or citizens from Upper Arlington don’t serve in the military,” Yassenoff says, “and that is absolutely, absolutely not true.”
Yassenoff says that data he obtained from the city of Upper Arlington indicates that UA is home to a higher percentage of Veterans than the national average.
Before the Veterans Plaza was complete, the most recent addition to the Mallway was the Blue Star Memorial Byway installed by the Serendipity Garden Club. Now, the byway is seamlessly woven into the Veterans Plaza.
History at Home
Upper Arlington has a rich history of military service that dates back to the Revolutionary War. One of the most notable parts of local military history is the story of Camp Willis.
When Upper Arlington was formed in 1914, developers were starting to build and sell houses. Only six houses had been sold when Mexican revolutionary leader Pancho Villa led an attack on the border in New Mexico, and President Woodrow Wilson called for the training of more troops to be sent to the border for extra protection.
“So, Ohio Governor Willis needed to have someplace for the Ohio National Guard to gather, train and prepare to go to the border,” says Melanie Circle Brown, executive director of the UA Historical Society. “He seized the land owned by the Upper Arlington company, who was developing UA, and just took it over.”
The current location of the plaza in Mallway Park is in the center of what was Camp Willis, Circle Brown says. And, the name Camp Willis came from Ohio’s governor at the time, Frank Willis.
According to Circle Brown, about 11,000 troops trained in Camp Willis from March to September 1916. During that time, those who lived in houses there would pass through a gate to get to their homes.
“Then (the troops) left and went down to El Paso, Texas,” Circle Brown says. “In its wake, Camp Willis left miles of the paved road, sewer lines and gas lines in shambles. The Upper Arlington Company had to start over and rebuild.”
The plaza provides a space for community members to reflect on history and learn more about military service in UA.
This photo is from the 1945 brochure about the proposed Upper Arlington memorial as the gateway to the one-acre Mallway, which was undergoing a beautification project at the time.
“I think (visitors) are going to understand and appreciate the sacrifice and service that members of our community have given to our country by focusing on the stories of individuals who lived here and what they have accomplished,” Circle Brown says.
The Veterans Plaza is a stop on the Upper Arlington History Trail, which highlights the community’s most historic moments through a physical walk and information shared on the city of Upper Arlington website.
Yassenoff says that he hopes future UA community members can use the space to continue to expand upon the project.
“We will continue to find ways to honor them,” Yassenoff says. “As part of the next step, I’m going to be looking to establish a Veterans fund with the Upper Arlington Community Foundation to not only help with the upkeep of the plaza, but also to support future projects honoring Veterans in Upper Arlington.”
As someone who was born and raised in UA, Yassenoff says he has always been involved in the community and is always looking for new ways to give back.
“This project naturally emerged as I was leaving my service on council,” he says. “It’s recognition of the sacrifice of Veterans, which I strongly believe in.”
Nora McKeown is an editorial assistant. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
