91ÊÓƵ

Crews on Monday began demolition work on state capitol grounds to prepare for Oregon’s first World War II memorial.

The $1.1 million project is taking place in Salem’s Wilson Park, at the corner of Cottage and Court streets. A dedication ceremony is planned for June 6, to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the Allied landings on the beaches of Normandy, France on D-Day.

The center of the memorial, in a 75-foot-by-75-foot area, will feature a 33-foot-tall, 20-ton, five-sided obelisk. The height refers to Oregon’s status as the 33rd state in the nation, according to information at .

Two-sided, black, granite walls will surround the obelisk with fallen soldiers’ names. A world map will be engraved on the memorial’s footprint with markers for major battles and theaters of operation.

Retired contractor Bob Plame in 2011 was appointed by then-Gov. Ted Kulongoski to find a site and devise a plan for the memorial. The Oregon Legislature then authorized construction on capitol grounds, said Plame, 67, a Vietnam War veteran who designed the memorial and will oversee construction.

Fundraising is still ongoing, but nearly complete, said Plame, a board member of the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

Demolition work will be followed by excavation and paving, he said. Electricians and granite workers also will be involved in the project. In spring, specialized crews from the East Coast will lift the polished obelisk into place.

“This is going to be a very tricky operation,” Plame said. “How do you turn that upside down and position it so precisely that it will be measured within a thousandth of an inch? It will be something to watch.”