Veterans honored with brick placements at Armory in Marietta
Ryan Pickrell places a brick engraved with his name and military service information in the walkway at the Veterans Square Memorial at the Armory Saturday as his sister Sarah embraces their grandfather Russell Pickrell at left and sister Natalie and father Eric watch. Ryan Pickrell's brick is next to bricks honoring Russell and Eric. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
Armory Square volunteer Pam Howard uses a tool to remove a blank brick from the Veterans Square Memorial walkway Saturday so it can be replaced with one engraved with a veteran's name and military service information. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
Marietta resident Ron Hoffert places a brick bearing his name and military service information in the walkway at the Veterans Square Memorial at the Armory Saturday. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
Armory Square volunteers Jan Dischong, left, and Scott Smith clean debris out of the space where a blank brick was removed to be replaced by an engraved one at the Veterans Square Memorial at the Armory Saturday. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
Bricks bearing the name and military service information of two local veterans sit ready to be placed in the walkway at the Veterans Square Memorial beside the Armory Saturday. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
Ryan Pickrell places a brick engraved with his name and military service information in the walkway at the Veterans Square Memorial at the Armory Saturday as his sister Sarah embraces their grandfather Russell Pickrell at left and sister Natalie and father Eric watch. Ryan Pickrell's brick is next to bricks honoring Russell and Eric. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
Armory Square volunteer Pam Howard uses a tool to remove a blank brick from the Veterans Square Memorial walkway Saturday so it can be replaced with one engraved with a veteran's name and military service information. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
Marietta resident Ron Hoffert places a brick bearing his name and military service information in the walkway at the Veterans Square Memorial at the Armory Saturday. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
Armory Square volunteers Jan Dischong, left, and Scott Smith clean debris out of the space where a blank brick was removed to be replaced by an engraved one at the Veterans Square Memorial at the Armory Saturday. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
Bricks bearing the name and military service information of two local veterans sit ready to be placed in the walkway at the Veterans Square Memorial beside the Armory Saturday. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
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MARIETTA – Three generations of the Pickrell family left their marks Saturday on the Veterans Square Memorial at the Armory on Front Street.
Ryan Pickrell, recently discharged from the U.S. Army, his father Eric, a Navy veteran, and grandfather Russell, also an Army veteran, were among 33 local veterans whose names were engraved on bricks and placed in the walkway at the monument. Like multiple other veterans in attendance, the Pickrells placed their bricks themselves.
"It's a pretty cool connection," said Ryan Pickrell.
Ryan Pickrell said the choice to enlist was his own, but it helped knowing he had family members who had gone before him.
"I kind of knew a bit better what to expect," he said, adding that he served at Fort Hood, Texas, like his grandfather.
The triple recognition was the idea of Chevonne Pickrell, Eric's wife and Ryan's mother.
"I don't know that I would have done it individually," Eric Pickrell said.
New bricks are dedicated and added to the walkway twice a year on the Saturdays before Memorial Day and Veterans Day.
"What I see is courage, sacrifice and devotion," Washington County Veterans Service Commission Executive Director Darren Shearlock told those gathered at the monument Saturday. "I see the love of our country carved into these bricks."
Shearlock said this ceremony was even more special since 2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
"A band of determined patriots dared to challenge the most powerful (empire) on Earth," he said. "They fought for an idea that freedom was a gift from God. It was not from any government."
Marietta resident Ron Hoffert was there to place his brick, purchased by his wife Sue in recognition of his Army service from 1981 to 1985.
"I think it's just a very honorable thing for the community to remember the veterans," Hoffert said. "It means a lot to a lot of people."
A separate walkway has been added in front of the Armory where people can purchase bricks to honor others in the community, said Michael "Moon" Mullen, president of Armory Square Inc., the nonprofit that supports the Armory. A brick was added to that section Saturday in recognition of the 100th anniversary of the Marietta Gardening Club.
Mullen said Armoy Square will continue to support improvements to the facility and is looking at getting air conditioning for the upper level. The former mayor said he's glad to see the facility as the base of operations for the Marietta-Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau and a meeting place for Marietta City Council, among other uses.
"I think it has turned out to be, as part of the early vision was, the community green, where you meet," he said.
Evan Bevins can be reached at ebevins@newsandsentinel.com.