A community patio project in The Plains, Ohio, turned into a hands-on masonry lesson for a local Eagle Scout candidate, and a new gathering space for Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7174.
John Milam, a member of Athens County’s Troop 50, chose to build a new patio for the post as his Eagle Scout Service Project. On Independence Day 2026, the VFW recognized the completed work during a ceremony that also marked the nation’s upcoming semiquincentennial. After Milam spoke, the post’s color guard performed ceremonial gunfire, and guests headed inside for a Fourth of July barbecue.
Milam said he has worked construction before and has experience with drafting and orthographic sketching, but he had never done masonry. Friends and family helped him learn the basics and put the patio together. The crew worked through blistering heat and demanding labor, and they finished the job in about a month. Final completion was June 22, two days before Milam’s 18th birthday.
Milam also drafted the patio design himself, including three columns that display the VFW Post 7174 insignia, the insignias of all branches of the U.S. armed forces, and the POW/MIA symbol. He said he worked through several design ideas before settling on the one he liked best.
The VFW funded the project, and materials were donated from multiple sources, including Lowe’s, White’s Mill, and Slater Builders Supply. Post leaders said the memorial garden concept had been discussed off and on for about two years, but Milam’s proposal helped move it from an idea to a finished build.
With the patio complete, Post 7174 plans to add benches in the future to give visitors a place to sit and reflect.
Read the full, original article from The Athens Messenger here.