The West Virginia Veterans Memorial was re-dedicated Tuesday afternoon with fanfare.
Opened in 1999 at a cost of $4 million, the memorial underwent a one year, $1.6 million renovation completed this summer to repair damaged masonry and to replace lighting and water filtration systems that had failed over the years.
The repairs restored the memorial's reflecting pool, and replaced obsolete spotlights with a LED light system that casts the exteriors of the four limestone monoliths in dark blue hues at night.
Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin spoke at the re-dedication ceremony at the state Capitol Complex and was joined by World War II veteran Hershel "Woody" Williams, a Marine Corps veteran and the last surviving veteran of the Battle of Iwo Jima to have been awarded the Medal of Honor.