Tea Veterans Memorial expands with 150 new pavers, honoring Veterans’ legacy

A project several years in the making reached another milestone this summer after community members placed over 150 brick pavers in the Tea Veterans Memorial. 

As of early June, the memorial, which opened in November 2022, now features a pathway adorned by glossy black pavers that are engraved with the names, branches of service and medals of valor of 180 veterans. 

According to Kristen Daggett, the secretary of the Tea Veterans Memorial Committee, the pavers honor “any veteran that would like to be recognized,” including those who are alive and those who have passed, many of whom are from the Tea area. 

“The nice thing about the Tea memorial is [the veteran] may not be from Tea, but they have a connection to Tea, whether it’s a family member or a friend that decided to do this,” Grant Van Riesen, who volunteered on the memorial committee, said. “And a lot of times it’s cool because they use that as a gift for that veteran to honor them.” 

The pavers were installed by Teapot Days on June 12-15. Daggett said community members came and went throughout the event to view the memorial, which had all its flags flying and lights shining. 

Getting the pavers ready for installment took some time, though. The committee, which was formed in 2019, had been selling pavers alongside fundraising for the memorial itself in preparation for the opening in 2022. 

The COVID-19 pandemic, however, resulted in extended waits for shipping. Additionally, the pavers were coming from overseas. 

“The community was very patient with us, so thank you for that,” Daggett said. “But first it took forever because of COVID.” 

When the committee did receive the pavers, Daggett said they were not all the same size. 

“So when we started engraving them, and we tried to place them, they were uneven and crooked,” Daggett said. “The pavers are kind of the crown jewel, right? It’s who we did the memorial for. So we didn’t want that to look not right.” 

The supplier helped the committee reorder the pavers and put a rush order on them, but Daggett said it still took a bit of time for the company to cut them and then ship them back overseas to Tea. 

“But we got them early this year, and our engraver, he’s a gentleman in Sioux Falls that engraves them, got them all done, and they’re all placed right now,” Daggett said. 

Van Riesen said he was happy to see the veterans’ names adorn the memorial. 

“I spent some time at the memorial on Memorial Day and on the fourth of July, and seeing the amount of people that come through and visit that is really cool,” Van Riesen said. “I’m sure every day there’s somebody that goes and visits that. It’s just a really special spot. 

Van Riesen donated a paver to a veteran and purchased a paver for his uncle, an army veteran who died in the Vietnam War. 

“This was the perfect opportunity for me to be able to honor him,” Van Riesen said. “He’s actually on the memorial wall in Sheldon, Iowa, where he lived, and I was just like, ‘This would be a good cause to purchase a paver so it’s always there.’ And I visit that memorial quite often, so it’s a really nice area to kind of sit and reflect.” 

Tanya Baker and her husband, owners of Sky Lounge, donated pavers to Tea locals, beginning with giving one away in 2020 on the first Tea Cruise night. Baker said they raised money for the pavers and memorial in part by recycling cans. 

“We were able to do this in a way that was good for the environment, as well as good for the community, and most importantly, good for our veterans,” Baker said. “We are so proud to have these permanent fixtures to honor loved service men and women long after they, and we, are no longer here.” 

As many of the pavers have now settled into the memorial, Daggett said they’re not done yet. 

“There’s a few finishing touches we have to do on it,” Daggett said. “The medals of valor, we’re going to put half pavers that explain what each medal is.” 

The half pavers will name the medal, such as “purple heart” or “silver star,” and explain why certain veterans receive the medals. 

The memorial also has room for additional pavers, and the committee plans to continue selling them. Daggett said they will likely be ordered in batches every six months and are available for purchase on the city website for $250. 

As Daggett reflects on the memorial’s journey to completion, she thinks it turned out “amazing.” 

“It goes right by the walking path, and it’s just humbling how people stop and they just walk through there and look at all the veterans that are recognized,” Daggett said. “It’s just a nice place to relax, and it’s quiet and tranquil, and you can remember the sacrifices that people made.” 

Van Riesen said he’s thankful for the Tea community’s help in working on and fundraising for the memorial. 

“It’s just amazing,” Van Riesen said. “Through the 24 years I’ve lived here, the Tea community always pulls together, no matter what, if it’s a school project, or if it’s a park thing or the city needs help, there’s always people wanting to donate time and money.”