The Plant City Veterans’ Memorial is a world-class Veterans’ monument, and two-acre park located at Courier Field in downtown Plant City. The park is home to many engraved memorial bricks dedicated by families of local Veterans. “I have a true passion for both our U.S. Veterans who preserve our safety and for my community,” said Jennifer Closshey, Chairman and leader of the Foundation for the Veterans’ Park. “With this park, we blend these two loves together into something for everyone, both young and old. Each brick will become a permanent part of Plant City history.”
Courier Field was originally owned by the W.B. Herring family and used for civic activities and educational programs such as lyceums under the Chautauqua tent.
In 2003, the School District of Hillsborough County deeded the property to the city for park use. The city made various improvements to the property, including a shelter and restrooms.
In 2008, the Plant City Armed Forces Memorials Foundation, Inc. was formed following a discussion concerning the lack of a monument as a tribute to the men and women of the area who served, fought, and died for our country. Plans were soon developed to add a Veterans monument and gathering area to the northern portion of the park. Through the support of the community, funds were raised, and the monument area was dedicated on July 1, 2010. “Everyone can honor their beloved Veterans with an engraved brick in the park,” Closshey said. “Memorial bricks are open to all Veterans of the USA Military Services.”
The memorial bricks cost $250 each and include three lines of text with 15 characters per line. The first line may contain the name of the honoree or any commemorative phrase such as “In Honor of,” “In Memory of,” “Commemorating,” “Remembering,” or other phrases as long as it’s kept to 15 characters per line. “All proceeds from the memorial brick sales go towards the development and maintenance of the park,” Closshey said. “Forms can be found online, or hard copies can be picked up at the Plant City Memorial Library, The Plant City History &Photo Archives, or Krazy Kup.”
Closshey and her team at the Foundation for the Veterans’ Park hope more people from the community will become more involved with Veterans’ Park and purchase memorial bricks for local Veterans. Very few bricks were purchased last year for the memorial. “We hope that we can increase the numbers of bricks sold in the coming New Year,” Closshey said. “Community members are invited to become involved with the foundation and help us raise awareness of what we do at the memorial. Meetings are held quarterly at The Plant City History & Photo Archives. Projects involving Veterans’ Park are done throughout the year linking to various Veterans’ holidays and events. The next major event is the 15-year anniversary of the park coming up on July 2, 2025. Volunteers are welcome.”
The Veterans’ Memorial at Courier Park is located at 703 N Wheeler St. behind Bruton Memorial Library
