FALLBROOK: Eagle Scout project honors Iraq war vets

By TOM PFINGSTEN - Staff Writer | Thursday, June 12, 2008 11:51 AM PDT ∞

FALLBROOK ---- Nick Kovsky has worked for two years on a statue of an eagle atop a white pillar ---- a tribute to veterans and active military members serving in the Iraq war.

At 11 a.m. Saturday, the statue will be officially unveiled at the Veterans of Foreign Wars hall off Old Stage Road, capping a project that the longtime Boy Scout hopes will earn him his Eagle Scout patch.

"I was looking for some sort of project to do, and everyone was going on about Iraq, so I thought I should do something based on that," said the 16-year-old high school sophomore. "The military's a big thing in Fallbrook, with Camp Pendleton being so close. It's all about honoring the troops. They work so hard, and I think they deserve it."

As an Eagle Scout candidate, Kovsky's role was to lead and organize the project, meaning that he didn't carve the wooden eagle himself and didn't pour the concrete slab at the VFW hall ---- a local mason helped with the slab.

Nick's father, Steve Kovsky, said Wednesday that his son labored to complete the monument out of respect for those who serve in the military.

"Some of the past Scouts from our troop are now active duty, going over and coming home from Iraq. It's kind of close to home here," he said.

Boys seeking to become Eagle Scouts are required to perform a public service, and while many projects are not as visible as a war tribute, Steve Kovsky said Nick's idea was always to have the piece displayed publicly in Fallbrook.

"There have been a lot of changes along the way," he said. "Initially, he thought it would go somewhere along Main Street, but because Fallbrook isn't a city, there's no central authority to go to and say, 'Hey, can I do this?'"

He said Nick checked with the Chamber of Commerce, which referred him to the VFW.

Upon hearing his idea, the president of the chapter encouraged Nick to develop the monument so it could be installed near the flagpoles in front of the VFW hall at 1175 Old Stage Road.

"We feel good about it," said the elder Kovsky. "It might not be seen by as many people, but it really means a lot to the people who do go (to the hall). These are people who served in foreign countries for our military."

He said the project was a good experience for his son, who learned, among other things, the kind of the logistics involved in displaying a public monument.

"Probably in his mind, it was a lot grander than it turned out to be, just because of the reality of (doing the project), but it took him two years to polish this rough idea into what it is now," Kovsky said.

As for his Eagle Scout patch, Nick said he's still got a few loose ends to tie up before he can submit his project later this year.

"Doing the project is only half of it ---- the other half is turning in a binder showing that we actually did it," he said. "I'm very close."

Contact staff writer Tom Pfingsten at (760) 740-3516 or tpfingsten@nctimes.com.