NEDERLAND — When the city of Nederland started planning its Veterans Park next to City Hall, people noticed there wasn’t enough space to erect a wall with names of everyone from the city who served.

Undeterred, city leaders chose a different and more innovative route to recognize hometown heroes.

City Manager Chris Duque said Nederland is instead using a veterans’ database that’s accessed through a kiosk. The kiosk is currently housed in the Marion & Ed Hughes Public Library, 2712 Nederland Ave. Plans are to have the kiosk moved and operating at Veterans Park by Memorial Day.

Nederland veterans are being asked to participate by providing their information.

By using the database, a veteran can list his or her name, include photographs, documentation, personal stories and background, all displayed on the kiosk. The database also updates itself.

One concern early on in the process, however, was how to determine if a veteran is from Nederland. It was decided that to qualify, a veteran either had to attend a Nederland ISD school, lived there or retired there. In other words, participants must have ties to the community.

“This is a long-term approach and it gives more information,” he said. “The more information family and friends can provide the better it will be.”

Angela Fanette, parks and recreation supervisor, who also worked on the Veterans Park, said the information from the database shows the veterans are real people and brings them to life.

“There’s a limited amount of space in our park,” she said. “This (the database) will grow with recognition.”

Fanette said the veterans’ committee brainstormed ideas; some that may work and others that wouldn’t, to get around the issue.

“We came up with a good and unique idea,” Fanette said. “We can get people to participate and build it up.”

Duque said planners were concerned about the World War II generation getting information in because they’re getting older.

The program is free to participate. Veterans only need to fill out a form consisting of permission from the requestor, background information, photograph log, veteran’s release form and an interview release form.

Forms can be picked up at the library, at the Nederland City Hall at 207 N. 12^th St., or at the parks and recreation building at 2301 Ave. H.

Personal information is not visible to the public and there’s no limit to what can be posted.

“Even is we get minimal information, we want it,” Duque said.

Fanette said since she started this work she has heard some “very interesting stories” from veterans. Her grandfather is also a veteran and most people don’t know what heroic things he did during the war.

“We have a large number of veterans here,” she said. “We’ve received some positive feedback about the park and this will be our next commitment.”

The veterans’ database can be accessed by going to: www.ned.lib.tx.us.