Sadly, there are many deserving veterans with ties to Barton County who had not been included on the new Golden Belt Veterans Memorial, such as a veteran of the Civil war and the man who survived the infamous Bataan Death March during World War II. However, thanks in part to a $1,000 donation given the county in 2014 by the Great Bend Tribune, many of these heros are being added to the list. The funds are used to assist veterans who do not have the financial resources to pay for an engraving, veterans with no family in the area or veterans serving long ago who are deserving of recognition. To date, 20 soldiers have been recognized.