Local Vietnam veteran Bull Keisel founded the project and with the help of local veterans and the entire community, brought it to fruition.

It sometimes “takes a village,” and in this case it took an entire county, to make the Veterans Memorial Park at the corner of State Street and Hawk Boulevard in Mt. Pleasant a reality. In what became a true community project, funds were raised, veterans were identified and construction was organized.

Multiple fundraisers over the course of the last two years brought in donations from across the county and from visitors alike to cover the cost of the memorial. Remarkably, the project came in under budget thanks to the generosity of the community. Local businesses donated materials and construction and time, and their contributions were incredibly generous. Funding from the Cleone Peterson Eccles Foundation was granted and finally the city of Mt. Pleasant covered the last remaining costs. Donations are still being accepted to create a fund to cover the cost of perpetual maintenance of the memorial.

The memorial honors veterans of our area for their service, sacrifice and dedication. On the east side of the memorial a 40-foot wall exhibits plaques upon which the names of Sanpete Valley veterans are inscribed. The wall of names is an ongoing project. Army veteran Lynn Brothersen and volunteer Maria Ricks worked tirelessly to collect the names displayed on the wall and are still collecting names that may be missing. If you or your loved ones are veterans and not represented on the wall of names, there is ample time and space to have them added.

photo courtesy of Maria Ricks

The pathway leading into the memorial is paved with red bricks that are custom engraved. Forty-six engraved bricks are currently laid there. Additional engraved bricks will be added as they are ordered. You can have a brick inscribed for your personal memorial for $100. These can be ordered at Mt. Pleasant City Hall or Fairview City Hall.

Perhaps the most significant and moving feature of the memorial are the bronze statues of veterans representing each branch of the service as well as honoring the contribution of field nurses that served our troops throughout our country’s history. Each bronze statue weighs between 200 and 300 pounds and is mounted on a granite pedestal engraved with the full color seal of the service branch the statue represents. The pedestals were created by Marietti Monuments in Price. Sculpture artist Jeremy Hooley created the likenesses which were then cast into statues by Lehi Metal Arts. The statues took seven months to complete.

On July 4, at the dedication of the North Sanpete Veterans memorial, following an opening prayer and the Raising of the Colors by American Legion Post 4 and VFW Post 9276, the five bronze statues memorializing each branch of the service and the statue of a field nurse were unveiled.

Speakers then created an emotion filled account of the journey of our country and the contribution and sacrifice that veterans made throughout our history. Bull Keisel, founder of the project, spoke of his Vietnam War injury and the care provided by the nurses who restored him to health. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, himself a Fairview native, reminded us that we live in the world’s greatest country and that privilege comes with responsibility. The governor spoke of faith sacrifice. Daniel James then sang a heart-felt rendition of  “God Bless the USA.”  Finally, U.S. Rep. Burgess Owens created an emotion filled account of his veteran father and how his father fulfilled a lifelong calling in service to our nation.

A three-volley salute, followed by a heart rendering performance of TAPS finalized the dedication ceremony. If you were among the standing-room only crowd there to witness the dedication of the North Sanpete Veterans Memorial you could not help but be moved by the story of the memorial and the entire community that came together to make it happen.

Gloria Albrecht

The memorial now stands in all its glory free for all to visit. When you drive past Hawk Boulevard on State Street in Mt. Pleasant you will see the huge flagpoles flying our nation’s flag and the flags of each of the branches of service. They will be a forever reminder of the sacrifice that veterans have made and continue to make for our country and of the community that came together to make the memorial a reality.

SSG Lynn Brothersen, retired Army Counterintelligence specialist, displaying the walkway brick she had inscribed

Work on installing the statues continues on July 2, 2026, only two days before the memorial dedication.