Military Monument Dedication Celebrates Veterans, Families

COLUMBIA, MD — The community can celebrate the dedication of the Howard County Veterans and Military Families Monument on May 14 at 11 a.m.

The ceremony will take place at the new monument's site located in the Vivian C. “Millie” Bailey Park in downtown Columbia.

“What started as an idea became a vision and today is a reality,” said Robert Gillette, president of the Howard County Veterans Foundation. “We invite everyone to join us, our many supporters and our local heroes for a ceremony of honor and remembrance as we celebrate this newly completed landmark.”

During the event, veteran service organization and community leaders will speak and participate in a ribbon cutting, and a Marine Corps detail will raise the flag over the monument for the first time.

Following the ceremony, Mission BBQ will serve a picnic-style lunch with dessert provided by the Howard County Chamber of Commerce.

Larry Kirkland was the commissioned artist chosen to create the 25,000-square-foot monument, which features a sculpture made of three symbolic stars.

The base star will represent the greater community that supports the military and their families when someone deploys. The blue star commemorates military service members and their families. A hollow gold star embedded in the blue star recognizes the hole left after the loss of service members who have died in the line of duty.

A reflecting pond and bench will circle the sculpture and complete the monument, which will be engraved with words and quotes highlighting service, freedom and democracy.

In late 2020, the Vivian C. "Millie" Bailey Park opened in downtown Columbia at Lake Kittamaqundi. The multi-use park was developed by the Howard Hughes Foundation and is owned by Howard County. The Park was named for longtime Howard County resident and community leader Vivian C. Bailey, better known as “Ms. Millie,” in recognition of her military service during World War II and her lifelong commitment to public service.