ST. JOSEPH, Ill. (WCIA) — A five-year project to upgrade a Veterans memorial in St. Joseph took a large step forward this weekend.

The American Legion and local volunteers are in charge of the project. Some updates were worked on Saturday morning, which included pouring new cement in the surrounding area and adding the names of recent Veterans who graduated from St. Joseph-Ogden High School. The memorial itself honors Veterans from World War I through Afghanistan.

One American Legion Veteran, Dee Evans, said this memorial means something big to the community.

“These aren’t just names, living and dead. It’s somebody that’s really done something for the country. It’s not just a name on a monument. This means more than that,” Evans said.

The monument is located right outside St. Joseph High School. Volunteers are looking to add nearly 50 new names by the start of 2024.