In Star City, John F. Kennedy announced that he would enter the West Virginia primary as a candidate for President of the United States, a step driven by concerns within the Democratic Party that a Roman Catholic could not be elected president. His decisive victory in the heavily Protestant state helped dispel those doubts and was instrumental in securing the Democratic presidential nomination. Arthur Edson of the Associated Press wrote that in West Virginia's mountains, cities, and impoverished coal fields, the decisive battle was fought that gave Senator John F. Kennedy the Democratic presidential nomination. Kennedy was elected president in 1960, but his presidency was cut short by assassination. The park and monument center on "A Father's Love," symbolized by the image of John John's salute to his father's casket at President Kennedy's funeral on November 25, 1963, and they also honor fathers, grandfathers, and grandmothers remembered there for their love and guidance. Congressman Tip O'Neal suggested creating such a monument in Star City, West Virginia, to Michael A. Oliverio, Sr. in the 1980's, and Oliverio led the effort to bring it into being with the help of numerous local contributors. It was dedicated on June 17, 2007.