New York XXIII

We have visited Wallkill before but there is so much here to show you, so just a small one today.

Last time we saw the huge Wall to those who served and/or were lost, but in wandering through the park I came across what must be an older memorial to both Vietnam and Korea. 

This is more common than you might think. At some point in time a small memorial or a joint one like this is erected and as time goes on it just does not seem like enough, so a newer more elaborate or dignified or fitting one, solely to Nam, is built. The same thing happened in my town. A small plaque was placed dedicated to all who served, but listed no names. Later we wanted something more fitting and built a new one listing all 130 names from our county.

 

So, without really having enough information I am still sure that this happened here in Wallkill also.

As you can see there are no names listed here. If you click on New York on the left side of this page you can find the newer Wall with all honored.

The park may be found at the corner of Rte. 17M and Highland Avenue.

Next time, on the 26th, we will head into Pennsylvania, so join me there, as always, at 9:00am.

To see additional memorials from New York, or any other state, please click the state name on the left side of this page.

Maryland XXVII

Clear Spring, Maryland is in Washington County the home of the very first Washington Monument which may be seen along the Appalachian Trail at Boonsboro.

Clear Spring has also distinguished itself as the home of a very nice veterans memorial. The memorial is to many but has not neglected our friends and neighbors lost in 'Nam. 

left panel

The memorial is in three pieces, a center stone with dedication, and a left and right wing with laser graphics depicting various scenes from our different wars.

Center dedication panel

As you can see here, the glare was particularly difficult on this day. No amount of lens filters etc seemed to help. The text reads as follows:

Clear Spring Veterans Memorial

(Great seal of the U.S.A.)

This memorial is dedicated to all

who served honorably in

the Armed Forces of the 

United States of America

The citizens of Clear Spring, Maryland

area thank you and your families 

for your service and sacrifice.

Dedicated October 2, 2010

Right panel

It is not too very often that I find family groups on memorials, but you can see here that this family has contributed more that many.

 

 

These two small stone have been left at the site.

This memorial is made even more remarkable by the fact that Clear spring had a population of 359 as of 2017. I know I am beating a dead horse when I say that I am so often amazed at what small towns do for their own. Some states have no official Vietnam memorial to this day!

Next time, on the 21st we will take another trip to New York, so join me there at 9:00am.

To see additional memorials from Maryland, or any other state, please click on the state name on the left side of this page.

9/11 2020

Hard to believe that it has been 19 years since The Twin Towers fell, the Pentagon crumbled, and the fields of Shanksville, Pennsylvania were forever marred.

Our lives, for those of us who remember, were inexorably changed (even if you don't remember, your life was altered too.)

There are memorials to this event in every state of the union and today, I will share one of these with you in honor and remembrance.

Belen, New Mexico is about 100 miles southwest of Santa Fe and has a population of about 7,000 people.

I was looking for a Vietnam memorial, as usual, and I stopped to ask for information. Right near the Wells Fargo Bank on Main Street was this really extensive memorial to 9/11.

This detailed explanation  is attached to a huge section of the Pentagon. 

This mock-up of the Twin Towers stands eight feet tall.

This is an actual shovel used at the Pentagon by first responders

Finally, this guy protects it all. His wing span is over eight feet!

The bricks in the wall just behind all this list the names of service men and women from New Mexico who made the final sacrifice.

So, nineteen years later it astounds me that people now in college and high school, a whole generation, were not even born when this fateful day occurred. Take a moment, then, to recall, to remember, and to honor those lost by telling them about it, what you were doing at the time and how you felt.

Next time, on the 16th, we will return to Maryland, so as always, meet me there at 9:00am.

To see Vietnam memorials from any state in the union, please click on the state name on the left side of this page.

Louisiana IX

We have visited Gonzales before but I was unable to show you all of what this great park offers.

Here are just a few more of the components that honor Vietnam veterans and our brothers and sisters who were lost for that cause in addition to veterans from all ages.

This guy greets you as you enter the park.

Last time I posted I featured this small dedication but was unable to show the detail in any meaningful way. Now, with some improved skills on my part, I am happy to share it once again.

 The eight men listed here deserve the repeat posting.

 Brick throughout honor many of those who served.

POWs and MIAs are not forgotten.

This beautiful fountain must be very calming when in operation. I am sorry it was not on the day I visited.

The Ascension Veterans Memorial Park lies between New Orleans and Baton Rouge at 1 S. Irma Avenue.

Next time, on the 11th we will visit a 9/11 memorial to honor the great losses of that terrible day.

To see additional memorials from Louisiana, or any other state, please click on the state name on the left side of this page.

Kansas IX

In the Veterans Memorial Park in Wichita not far from the large Vietnam memorial there is also a smaller one to those who served.

The text is hard to read due to the sun reflecting from the plaque, so I have copied here for you.

                          " In Memory of All Vietnam Veterans
This memorial was erected in memory of the young individuals who went to war as kids and lost their youthful dreams, and some their lives, for a cause - Freedom and Honor - and came back as men with the horrors of war distilled in every fiber of their being and were never given the respect and honor they so dearly deserve from the Public or United States Government.

God will one day judge our actions. Until then, He will shine on the lives of each veteran now and forever more because He was with each of them in Vietnam. He is the only one that truly knows what they went through and are living with every day.

                       Dedicated to Those Lives Affected by Vietnam"

I have commented in the past about how much it pleases me to see statements that include all who were affected by the war as seen here. They are surprisingly rare.

Next time, on the 7th we'll venture back to Louisiana, so meet me there at 9:00am.

To see additional memorials from Kansas, or any other state, please click the state name on the left side of this page.

Hawai'i VIII

Long before the beautiful new memorial to those who were served in the Vietnam war, another seemingly lesser known memorial listed their names.

Along these ascending steps are what are known as The Court of the Lost.

Many from previous wars are honored here and have been for some time, but in 1980, those lost from duty in Vietnam were added to these walls.

While wandering the site I found this name blackened in by someone. There is no explanation that I have been able to find, so as I have in the past, I'll ask you to let me know if you have any information about this. I have been so pleased at how often someone reads these pages and gets in touch to fill me in when I ask for your help.

Later, I found another of these darkened names and was surprised to find that it was the name of guy from Arlington, Virginia whom I have written about before on this site.

The name is a little hard to see in the pic. He is Humbert Versace and you can find his story by clicking on Virginia on the left side of this page and scrolling back to it.

Next time, on the 2nd of September, we will revisit Kansas, so join me there at 9:00am.

To see additional memorials from Hawai'i, or any other state, please click the state name on the left side of this page.

Georgia XVIII

I have posted about the dignity Wall that stands outside the museum at Ft. Benning, Georgia previously on this site and you can find it elsewhere by clicking on Georgia on the left side of this page and then scrolling back. It is quite something.

It sits in an are called Vietnam Veterans Plaza.

In addition to the huge replica of The Wall here there are also a couple of other interesting markers. They are along the walkway to The Wall and today, I will share them with you.

The first of these is a tribute to all who served.

The next one attempts to tell the history of the war. there are things on here that contradict what others say, but, this is common.

 Again, additional history. this call the first two killed as having died in 1979, I always like to point out that the first soldier who died in 'Nam was killed in 1956, still others date the war to 1945 when an American official was killed by the Viet Minh. So it goes with history.

I think for the foreseeable future this will be the last post from Ft. Benning, I have exhausted  my pictures for now. Perhaps when the pandemic has passed I can get back.

Next time, on the 28th, we'll return to Hawai'i', so, meet me there, as always, at 9:00am.

To see additional memorials from Georgia, or any other state, please click on the state name on the left side of this page.