Wednesday, November 12, 2025
AUBURN, Ind. -- The local community turned out on a cold and blustery Veterans Day for the dedication of the DeKalb County Veterans Memorial.
The new memorial, located along 9th Street sits on the site of the former American Legion Post 97 on the west bank of Cedar Creek.
The memorial was made possible thanks to a private/public partnership with the county's American Legion posts, auxiliaries, Sons of the American Legion and Legion Riders, Junior Auburn Main Street, the City of Auburn and many other donors and supports from throughout the county. Ann Finchum, executive director of Auburn Main Street also thanked MSS Engineering, FCI Construction, Henderson Construction, Summers Landscaping, Speedway Redi Mix and JP Excavating for their work on the project.
In 2024, Auburn Junior Main Street members had the vision to construct the memorial on the site. After completing a four-month AIM leadership workshop and participating in the My Community, My Vision initiative, they launched a bold fundraising campaign -- raising $50,000 in 50 days to unlock a matching grant.
The memorial features six limestone pillars representing each branch of the military, semicircle flag poles framing the space, a central American flag and MOW/MIA flag along with two smaller pillars in the middle. The names of local veterans will be inscribed on each of the limestone pillars next spring after the weather warms.