Memorial arbor for veterans to be unveiled Nov. 7 at Aldridge Gardens

Aldridge Gardens on Monday, Nov. 7, will publicly unveil its new Veterans Memorial Arbor on the back side of the lake at the public gardens.

The arbor crosses over a dam and has 16 columns all dedicated to those who have served the United States and defended its freedoms.

Military veteran and Aldridge Gardens board member Mark Davis said the idea for the arbor came about a couple of years ago, and since then, he’s worked to make the vision come to fruition.  

“I put my heart and time into this, and I just wanted to honor those who serve and let them know that we haven’t forgotten about them,” Davis said, who worked on nuclear submarines during the Vietnam War. “It’s become a labor of love.” 

Leading up to the arbor, visitors will see the Gateway Pentagon Plaza — a sitting area lined with benches representing the five military branches. 

This area, Davis said, will also serve as a memorial site to two local men who died while serving. 

When Hoover resident Marynell Winslow found out about the arbor’s construction, she said she thought of her son who left home nearly 10 years ago and never came back. 

Her son, Ryan Winslow, was 18 years old when he enlisted in the Marines. He was 19 when he died. 

“His lifelong dream was to become a police officer, and he felt like the best training he could get for that was to join the Marine Corps,” Marynell Winslow said. 

Now, almost 10 years after Ryan Winslow was killed by a bomb in Iraq (he was only three weeks into a seven-month tour), Marynell Winslow will be able to see a bronze rendering of her son at the arbor’s Gateway Pentagon Plaza. Ryan Winslow’s bust will be displayed at the entrance of the plaza. 

 “The greatest fear of a Gold Star family is that their child would be forgotten,” Marynell Winslow said. 

Since her son’s death, Marynell Winslow said she and her family have received an outpouring of generosity from the city. And now, with Aldridge Gardens debuting the Veterans Memorial Arbor, Marynell Winslow said she has no doubt her son — and other local veterans — won’t be soon forgotten. 

“Until you’ve actually experienced it, you really don’t have a deep understanding of what it is,” she said of what it’s like to lose a child. “Aldridge Gardens doing this, it means a lot — it’s a way for others to say ‘thank you’ for the sacrifices that have been made.” 

Charon Rivers knows all too well what Marynell and her family have been though. 

Like Marynell Winslow, Charon Rivers lost her son, Thomas Rivers, when he died in Afghanistan on April 28, 2010, while serving in the military. Thomas Rivers was 22 years old when he died. 

“There’s just always going to be a hole in your heart. It’ll never go away,” Charon Rivers said. 

Since her son’s death, Charon Rivers, along with her husband and daughter, has spearheaded Support Our Soldiers, a nonprofit organization that sends care packages to those serving overseas. The family currently sends about 75 boxes a month. 

When Charon Rivers learned about the bust being erected at the arbor in memory of Ryan Winslow, she thought of her son who also died while serving. However, the price tag for the bust was something she couldn’t afford. 

After learning of Charon Rivers’ interest in the memorial, Davis took matters into his own hands and paid a visit to the University of Alabama at Birmingham. 

Davis told the school’s engineering and art departments about Charon Rivers and the arbor, and after UAB applied for a $5,000 grant, the bust of Thomas Rivers came to form. 

“It turned into something pretty special,” Davis said. 

Now, with renderings of Ryan Winslow and Thomas Rivers flanking the gateway plaza — and a long list of other local veterans’ names adorning the arbor’s bricks, pillars and benches, Davis said the Veterans Memorial Arbor became something better than he could have ever imagined. 

“We have people from World War I, World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam and the wars we have now,” Davis said. “It’s really a beautiful thing.” 

Marynell Winslow and Charon Rivers said they both plan on attending the unveiling, continuing to honor their sons who died fighting for one of life’s most precious rights — freedom. 

“I’m glad Ryan’s and Thomas’ (busts) will be there, but what I really hope for the community is that this serves as a reminder of the huge price that has been paid,” Marynell Winslow said. 

Monday's ceremony is set for 9:30 a.m.

This article was updated at 5:35 p.m. on Nov. 2 with the time of the Nov. 7 dedication ceremony.