A park honoring Ohio State’s military heroes was unveiled on north campus Thursday.

OSU Remembrance Park is a tribute to past and present students and faculty who have served in the Armed Forces. A special Wall of Honor will also be constructed as a tribute to the more than 1,000 OSU alumni who died during service.The park was made possible by the OSU Department of Athletics and OSU Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, and is located at the northwest corner of Woody Hayes Drive and Tuttle Park Place, between the Horseshoe and Converse Hall, OSU’s ROTC facility.

Along with the Wall of Honor, OSU officials said the park will also have a green space for the use of veterans and university members.

A bright, sunny and breezy day greeted those who attended the public ceremony, including several senior OSU officials, members of the university’s training corps and OSU veterans. Members of the OSU Marching Band were also present to play patriotic tunes.

After giving brief statements regarding the park, the senior officials finished the unveiling by taking part in a ceremonial ground breaking for the Wall of Honor.

“Today we pay tribute to the special alumni who made the ultimate sacrifice,” said President Karen Holbrook.During the ceremony, the Wall of Honor was seen only as an artist’s conception on a diagram, yet to be built. Associate Director of Athletics Archie Griffin said although the wall recognized those alumni who died, it is still important to know those individuals’ names and keep their memory alive.

OSU women’s basketball coach and Vietnam veteran Jim Foster expressed his gratitude for the work put into the memorial.

“I can’t thank the people enough for this. I couldn’t be more proud,” Foster said.

Foster also saw great significance in the placement of the wall, which will be located along the sidewalk on the south side of Converse Hall. He noted the importance of the heavy foot traffic the sidewalk receives on a few Saturday mornings during the year.

“This is right next to The Blackwell, which is where the football team stays before games. I know the team walks right through here on the way to games, and I’m sure coach Tressel will take the time and make sure to point this out to them,” Foster said.

According to the OSU ROTC Web site, future military officers have been training at OSU since its inception in 1870, so the completion of a memorial is long overdue. OSU Battalion Commander Lt. Col. Todd Miller said thousands of alumni have trained on OSU’s campus and a memorial was important for those individuals.

“This is a place of ground for all Buckeyes who did service on this Earth,” Miller said.