Lynchburg church seeks permission to build playground in memory of soldier

A local church is seeking city permission to move forward with a project organized in memory of a parishioner who died while serving overseas in Iraq.

Plans submitted by West Lynchburg Baptist Church call for a small playground to be built on a slice of church-owned land on the corner of Langhorne Lane and Eldon Street.

The facility would be named J.J’s Playground after Pfc. Jason Scheuerman, a young soldier who committed suicide in 2005.

Scheuerman, age 20, was in the midst of a tour of duty in Muqdadiyah, Iraq, at the time of his death. The events surrounding his suicide received national media attention and were the subject of a subcommittee hearing in the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this year.

The Associated Press has reported that military documents obtained by Scheuerman’s parents reveal the soldier was exhibiting concerning suicidal behavior, but he was not deemed to be a danger to himself when he met with an Army psychologist.

His father, who works as an instructor at Fort Bragg, has been a particularly outspoken advocate concerning his son’s treatment, and prompted a federal investigation into the matter.

A hearing was held before the House Armed Services subcommittee in March.

Raised in Lynchburg, Scheuerman was an active member of West Lynchburg Baptist, participating in mission trips and volunteering with the children’s Bible school program.

Family and church congregants alike have described him as a loving person who had a talent for dealing with children.

“He had quite a love for kids, and they loved him, too,” said church member Ken Shumaker, describing the memorial project as a fitting tribute.

Scheuerman’s family first announced their plans to build a church playground in his memory three years ago. They contributed funds to support the endeavor, as did other church members.

West Lynchburg Baptist representatives said they’d been searching for a site ever since. They recently settled on a small half-acre plot originally purchased about four years ago with a loose idea of one day using it for church parking.

The project requires a conditional use permit from the city, a petition for which went before the Lynchburg Planning Commission on Wednesday. Commissioners approved the request in short order by a unanimous vote.

The issue is next scheduled to go to City Council on Oct. 14. If it receives final approval there, church officials said they would move swiftly to begin building.

They hope to have the facility finished in late November.

“Everyone’s very supportive of this,” parishioner Tom Woodford said, adding the family’s passion for the project has been “contagious.”

The full plans submitted also include a picnic pavilion, although officials said that feature would be added at a later date.