Raines and Bell: Heritage Center will fulfill promise

The proposed Medal of Honor Museum at Coolidge Park would be at the end of Tremont Street, across from the Chattanooga Theatre Centre.
The proposed Medal of Honor Museum at Coolidge Park would be at the end of Tremont Street, across from the Chattanooga Theatre Centre.

Yes, the Charles H. Coolidge Medal of Honor Heritage Center should be located in Coolidge Park.

We, along with many others in our community, believe building the Heritage Center on a tenth of an acre in the northeast corner of Coolidge Park will be the final cornerstone to completing the original intent of Coolidge Park while ensuring the adjacent area around the building remains as it stands today - a public green space that anyone can use.

The development of Coolidge Park began nearly 71 years ago. On Aug. 4, 1945, Chattanooga's Technical Sgt. Charles Coolidge returned home to a hero's welcome after receiving the Medal of Honor for his fearless courage during World War II. Among the many tributes bestowed upon him that day was a proclamation from the city of Chattanooga that called for setting aside a considerable amount of land along the Tennessee River to build a community park named in his honor. A modest man, Mr. Coolidge initially declined this recognition but eventually changed his mind after the city agreed to build a community park that would properly recognize all veterans from the area.

Over the years, Coolidge Park has evolved into a community treasure beloved by all Chattanoogans. However, the original intent of park, as understood by Coolidge and intended by the city, continues unfulfilled to this day.

Learn more

To find out more about the proposed Medal of Honor Heritage Center at Coolidge Park, please attend a public meeting:› When: Aug. 3 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.› Where: Chattanooga Theatre Centre, 400 River St.› Who: The Trust for Public Land will moderate the discussion.

This is an undeniable fact, and it's why the board of trustees for the Heritage Center approached city and county leaders to obtain a long-term lease for a building footprint of 4,000 square feet to honor Charles H. Coolidge and recognize Chattanooga as the birthplace of the nation's highest award for valor, the Medal of Honor. The building would honor the Andrew's Raiders, the first recipients and the 32 soldiers, and the only female, who earned the Medal of Honor for their heroic actions during the Civil War's Chattanooga Campaign of 1863. It would also recognize the 10 regional heroes who have been awarded the Medal of Honor during the modern era, especially Charles Coolidge and Desmond Doss.

The fact is the trustees are requesting a long-term lease on a mere tenth of an acre within the property located beyond the Walnut Street Bridge in the northeast corner of Coolidge Park. The remaining area surrounding the building will remain as it is today - a public green space. The idea of this project removing a large amount of green space from Coolidge Park is simply not true.

Others have questioned the long-term sustainability of the Heritage Center. The Heritage Center has a comprehensive business plan developed by two Ph.D.'s from the UTC Department of Business and has been reviewed by multiple Chattanooga business leaders. Additionally, the board has agreed to raise 60 percent of the capital campaign before breaking ground on this project. This is the industry standard.

Over the past several months, the board has worked in full partnership with the city and county to negotiate the details of this lease agreement. Unfortunately, some in the community have been influenced by misinformation about this project, so city leaders requested time for additional public input.

As such, we welcome additional feedback and will hold a public meeting next month. We hope everyone will make plans to attend this important gathering.

Until then, we encourage people to learn more about the Heritage Center by visiting ILoveCoolidgePark.com. Get the facts on this project and learn why we and many others believe the Heritage Center will be an asset to our community and Coolidge Park.

Building the Heritage Center in Coolidge Park has broad support locally and nationally, especially among veterans. Some of our critics have said the best way to honor Charles Coolidge is to preserve every inch of green space in the park that bears his name.

We think Mr. Coolidge himself has best responded to this question, and his response is clear: He strongly supports the effort to secure property in Coolidge Park for building a new Heritage Center. Why? Because he believes this project will finally complete what he and the city had originally intended for Coolidge Park - a place that visibly honors veterans for their valor and service to our country while retaining the park's utilized green space.

With your support, we can ensure this promise from 1945 is finally fulfilled.

Major Gen. Bill Raines, U.S. Army (Retired), is chairman of the baord of trustees of the Charles H. Coolidge Medal of Honor Heritage Center. Gen. B.B. Bell, U.S. Army (Retired), is chairman of the heritage center's advisory board.

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