UPDATE: Boynton Beach commissioners have approved to rename the Veteran Memorial Park in honor of WWII veteran Tom Kaiser.
"We look forward to working with the veterans on this renaming project to honor the arduous and dedicated work of Tom Kaiser," said City Manage Lori LaVerriere.
EARLIER STORY:
BOYNTON BEACH, Fla.-- A state senator wants to rename a park in Boynton Beach in honor of a WWII veteran.
Tom Kaiser, 92, has spent countless hours and thousands of dollars to make sure the Veterans Memorial Park is a place that honors the fallen and remembers the ones who have fought for our country.
The monuments have each been added by Kaiser.
“It has just about every theater or war that we’ve been involved in,” said Senator Joe Casello.
Casello said he is asking the city to rename the park the Tom Kaiser Veteran Memorial Park in honor of the selfless work done by the veteran.
“It was all for the right reasons, it wasn’t for self-recognition, he never did it for the Tom Kaiser name,” said Casello. “Mr. Kaiser has been honoring our vets for a very long time and usually at his own expense.”
Kaiser said he was stunned when he was told Casello wanted to name the park after him: “I don’t get stunned easy.”
The park, which has over a dozen monuments, is a place Kaiser wants people to remember forever.
“All of this here will be here forever,” said Kaiser.
The Boynton Beach City Commission will decide if the park will be renamed at Tuesday’s meeting. The Recreation and Parks Advisory Board recommended the park not be renamed, but something else be done to recognize Kaiser.
It is up to the city commission to make a final decision.