Saline County invites the public to explore the enhancement to the memorial, on Thursday, February 13, 2025 at 3:45pm at the Saline County Veterans Memorial.
The Saline County Veterans Memorial has a new feature to save some confusion, all thanks to a local teen that wanted to honor and support veterans. Read more below.
Located at the southeast corner of the Saline County Courthouse in downtown Benton, Arkansas, the memorial is a tribute to those who have served in both peace and war. It has a brick pathway with over 2,300 names, to honor living and deceased veterans through dedicated bricks. In the past, locating specific names on the pathway proved difficult, but thanks to 17-year-old Brianna Moore’s leadership, that challenge has been resolved.
A key addition to the memorial is the newly launched Veterans Memorial Brick Directory, a searchable online database at salinecounty.org/veteransmemorial. This tool allows visitors to quickly find brick locations with ease. To further simplify the process, Brianna and a team of American Heritage Girls (AHG) volunteers installed signs with QR codes at the memorial, providing on-site access to the directory along with easy-to-follow instructions.
Brianna’s project also extends beyond the memorial. She created a patriotic rock garden at the Saline County Veterans Service Office, located across Main Street from the Courthouse. This garden, decorated with hand-painted rocks by AHG members, serves as an additional tribute to those who have served.
To bring her vision to life, Brianna secured donations from generous local sponsors, including Westrock Products, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2256, Daniel & Jones Orthodontics, Broox Beauty Bar, The Frame Maker, and Baxley-Penfield-Moudy Realtors- Sherrie Kettles.
“Through this project, I wanted to make it easier for the community to celebrate our veterans,” said Brianna Moore. “It’s important to recognize their sacrifices and show our appreciation.”
Saline County Judge Matt Brumley praised Brianna’s dedication, stating, “I am incredibly impressed by Brianna Moore and the American Heritage Girls for their dedication and hard work in honoring our veterans. Their commitment to this project is inspiring, and it speaks volumes about their character and leadership.
“Brianna and her team represent the future of our community-young leaders who recognize the value of service, respect and patriotism. These young ladies have served this county in such an incredible way by enhancing the Memorial and allowing visitors a way to honor and memorialize those who served our country so well.”
Brianna dedicated over 150 hours to this project, leading a team of 25 volunteers ranging from kindergarteners to high school students. This initiative serves as a major component of her AHG Stars & Stripes Award-the highest recognition in the American Heritage Girls program, similar to the Eagle Scout rank. She will present her work to a review board this spring.
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