The Michigan WWII Legacy Memorial was designed by Michael J. Gordon, RA of Moiseev/Gordon Associates, Inc., Royal Oak.

Mr. Gordon, whose father was a veteran, has provided incredible leadership and vision on the project. In designing the memorial, his inspiration has been what he feels is the importance of honoring our veterans and creating a space of celebration so that this space has purpose, because what the veterans fought and died for, as well as the sacrifices made at home, was the freedom for us to enjoy the lives we have both today and into the future.

The Michigan WWII Legacy Memorial will be located in Memorial Park, Royal Oak, at the northeast corner of Woodward Avenue and Thirteen Mile. Woodward Avenue connects the city of Detroit to Pontiac, one of the arteries of the Arsenal of Democracy.

A legal agreement has been signed with the city of Royal Oak to maintain the Memorial in perpetuity, assuring that future generations will be enriched and inspired.

Inspired by the Honor Flight WWII veterans taken to the National WWII Memorial in Washington, D.C., visionaries were inspired to bring the memorial home. Their dream was to recognize Michigan's contributions to the war effort, giving future generations a place to be inspired and dream in the state that was home to the Arsenal of Democracy.

The memorial has three main design components representing:

• Who the memorial is about: Statues depicting three scenes representing land, sea and air. Each has a war front and home front component.

• What was done: Colonnade of thirteen pillars representing how Michigan supported the war through service, sacrifice, industry, labor, commitment and change

• Where activities took place: Michigan map showing the state's contribution to the war efforts through industry, government and commercial endeavors. This walkable and interactive map will tell the story of innovation and dedication.

An educational component is being developed for use by educators and those interested in learning more about Michigan's wartime history. Highlighting the state's contributions, it will showcase the values and innovations resulting from resident's sacrifice, commitment, creativity and prowess.