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A World War II Memorial has been installed at the Fair Haven Gardens in Pella.

Bruce Boertje says more than 850 names of veterans from the area who served during the second war are listed. Boertje says the Fair Haven Gardens, when originally planted in the 1940s, were full of tulips donated from Holland as thanks for Pella’s help during World War II.

He says this step represents the efforts made to restore the spot next to Pella Manor.

“After 50 years, the gardens gradually got phased out and for ten years, Pella was without any of the Fair Haven gardens here,” he says. “And so a couple years ago, a committee got together and reformed the gardens, and put them back in a smaller format.”

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Cal Van Ee with the American Legion says it’s a fitting tribute to those who served during the war.

“It just means that we’ve had a very strong bond with the people of Holland in World War II, and the appreciation they had for us sending them money during the war to help efforts they did and they sent back tulip bulbs,” he says.

Van Ee says the American Legion is working on a formal memorial dedication, which may take place on Veteran’s Day.