Diamond Park is a beautiful memorial to all of Butler County’s Veterans. When our uncle, Emery Drescher of Saxonburg, celebrated his 96th birthday this past July 2, we decided to honor him and his years of military service by purchasing a paver. Uncle Emery was thrilled. However, the actual placement of the paver would be delayed since John Cyprian’s Office of Veterans’ Services was in the process of hiring a new vendor.

On July 9, we mailed the required forms with our personal check to Veterans’ Services. When our bank statements for July and August reflected that our check was still out, we weren’t concerned. However in September we felt it prudent to check on the status of our order. A new purveyor had not yet been retained.

In October, we called Cyprian’s office a second time. Since a new supplier had still not been hired, they offered to cancel our order and return our check. How does one cancel a very special birthday gift to a 96 year old veteran? How do we explain to him that the Department of Veterans’ Services does not feel compelled to honor him in a timely manner?

Cyprian is a county employee with a paid staff. Honoring and serving the veterans of Butler County is the sole purpose for this department. Why hasn’t the relatively simple job of obtaining a new vendor for the pavers in Diamond Park been delegated and a new vendor hired? If such a straightforward responsibility has been neglected, we wonder what other veterans’ services are being mismanaged?

Does any Butler Eagle reader know a professional, reliable supplier of memorial pavers that could take on this job for our Department of Veteran Services? A veteran who has proudly served our country would be preferable.