For more than 80 years, Old North Dayton have passed a memorial at the corner of Keowee and Valley, built to honor neighbors who served during World War II.
But over time, weather and age took a toll.
Names faded. Some were misspelled. Parts of the memorial slowly lost the story they were meant to preserve.
So in 2023, the neighborhood decided it was time to restore it.
Marine Corps veteran and Veterans' Voices producer Zack Sliver said this memorial stands out.
“As a Marine Corps veteran, I've seen a lot of memorials over the years,” Sliver said. “But the one at Keowee and Valley in Old North Dayton means something very special.”
The memorial has stood there since 1944.
George Stephens, with the Kaiser High School Alumni Association, said military service was deeply tied to the neighborhood.
“The people of Old North Dayton were very patriotic,” Stephens said. “Many of the students of Kaiser High School during World War II went into military service.”
What began as correcting a few names turned into something bigger.
“The last few dollars were collected by school children at the time. There were 1,300 kids that donated.”
But organizers discovered another challenge.
“This monument, in my opinion, had a problem of ownership,” Stephens said. “Nobody knew who owned it.”
That is because the memorial was never built by an agency. It was built by the community.
Residents raised money door to door, and schoolchildren helped finish the effort.
“The last few dollars were collected by school children at the time,” Stephens said. “There were 1,300 kids that donated.”
Today, organizers say the City of Dayton has agreed to maintain the site moving forward.
For Sliver, places like this are personal.
“I drive by that monument once a week,” he said. “And I take time to remember people that I’ve lost in the service.”
Organizers hope the restoration does more than preserve history.
“A new generation will go by,” Tom Mangold said. “and hopefully the dedication will call attention to people now that don’t know what it is and why it’s there.”
The restored North Dayton Patriots Memorial will be dedicated June 14, at the corner of Keowee and Valley streets, bringing the community together to honor veterans and reconnect with a piece of Old North Dayton history.
