Voinovich Park transformed for Marine Week in Cleveland

CLEVELAND - The U.S. Marines have transformed Voinovich Park in Cleveland for Marine Week.

Just before 6 a.m. Monday morning, military vehicles arrived at the park to be put on display. A couple vehicles are stationed in the middle of the park, next to the MV-22 Osprey plane, a revolutionary tilt-rotor aircraft.

Marines will be giving people tours of the ground vehicles and aircraft, allowing the public to learn more about this military branch that has a close connection to our state.

"Ohio produces more than nine thousand United State Marines currently. We have about two hundred thousand so that's like the third highest state that supplies marines to the U.S. Marine Corps," Public Affairs Captain Craig Thomas said.

While marines prepared their display stations, volunteers spent the morning setting up the largest replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. It will run alongside the pier at the park.

"Today, when we're setting the wall up, you look at each name. It puts a lump in your throat," volunteer A.J. Perry said.

Also, a traveling memorial of more than 400 American flags honoring Ohio's fallen soldiers is on display. Crews with Ohio Flags of Honor set up the flags. The names of Ohio soldiers who died in Iraq or Afghanistan are written on the flag poles.

Monday night at sunset, marines will retire the American flag at Voinovich Park and military taps will follow.