Yes, the monument will have a paved pathway connecting the arch to the historical museums situated right next door.

The Caring Community Foundation has established the St. Marys World War I Memorial Arch Fund and will receive and manage all donations. This arrangement keeps all funds separate and restricts the use of donations for the Memorial . The Foundation is an independent private non-profit organization serving Pottawatomie and surrounding counties.

Yes, the Caring Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt entity tax ID #47-4465692. The address is PO Box 54, Onaga, KS 66521. If you'd like to see our non-profit status please go to the About tab on the top to see our letter from the IRS.

Given that the arch is now over 100 years old there are significant safety concerns surrounding the arch. We must face the reality that the structure needs to be removed since it is beyond simple repair.

Supporting the heroes who gave us the liberty to be in a country we love and cherish is the honor we should pay all people who gave their all for our freedom.

Tearing down is easy, building something worthwhile is much more difficult. It is easy to tear down, our goal is maintain our heritage and honor the fallen soldiers.

The goal is to have 80% of the funds raised by September and 100% by the beginning of the year. This timeline will let construction begin in the spring of 2025, with a completion date by the fall. The timeline of this project ultimately depends on the funds available and generous donations.

Ultimately, this will be determined by the amount of funds we can raise by the end of the year. This may have to be a phased project, causing this initiative to last longer than we hope.

Our current plan is to have a concrete structure with stone cladding. The decorative parts of the arch will be carefully removed and scanned. With today’s 3D scanning technology, we can make this arch identical to the original.

The cost of the project is currently estimated in the millions. However, we are still working to bring that cost down by using hands-on artisans in the local community.

If we had public funds we would never ask the public as we know how hard it is for people right now to donate.

The goal is to establish a permanent endowment to cover the arch’s future maintenance cost.

Please volunteer, donate, or do both. We need volunteers now for fund raising and communications and later will need volunteers to help with construction.

Lt. Fitzsimmons was an American physician and United States Army Officer in World War I and is considered the first American officer killed in the war. Lt Fitzsimons attended St Mary's College. Our memorial is where he went to school and is dedicated to all the good men and women who have served the military with distinction.