CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It was an important Memorial Day for the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
[ALSO READ: Groundbreaking marks start to Ovens Auditorium connector 'The Link']
Officials broke ground Monday morning on what will be a veterans park on campus.
The park will be near Memorial Hall on campus and is meant to recognize the university's historical connections with veterans and students, and will honor all past, present and future veterans.
:quality(70)/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-cmg.s3.amazonaws.com/public/PX7LDTY3QVFNSNB2B5WEE3T7EM.jpg)
The college was one of 14 opened by North Carolina to serve returning veterans after World War II in the 1940a. Today, there are nearly 1,000 veteran students, faculty, and staff on campus.
"Having that type of inclusivity is something that helps validate what we’ve done as veterans, what I have done as a veteran," said Lawrence Battle, a student.
Construction is set to begin this summer with the hope to have to park finished in the fall.
Channel 9's Elsa Gillis was at the groundbreaking and will walk you through the plans for the special tribute to student veterans, on Eyewitness News at 5.
Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/LH3JSJEF3VBLRJLJQESEAG34AM.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/CPEHEMYETVGMXPGPMRCU32QFJM.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/5D2QI7EP6BE5XI3IUD4BTYNYME.jpeg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/V2LHQ3SVK5DWNA7NL7MLKJ5MQ4.jpeg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/SANODGXKIRDXBIFTOFJNLP4BHA.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/SSADAFRW7JEYJMTUK5GOCB4AJE.jpeg)