Saturday, March 23, 2013

Oklahoma V

As mentioned earlier, the rain continued to threaten and frequently follow through with its threat. As I approached Hulbert, I had to cross several bridges and the last one had local maintenance crews on it keeping people out. The water was not yet over the bridge and when I explained what I was doing they let me cross. They warned me not to be too long as I might not be able to get back across in the not too distant future. So, this one too, like Broken Arrow, nearly became one I didn't get!



 As I pulled into the area where the memorial stands, I was down hill from it. You can see that the road is under water. Fortunately, the uphill side was better and I could get a few shots through the teeming rain. What you cannot see in these pics is the original memorial. A gravestone like slab with the four names etched upon it was damaged as it was installed. It remains on site with the crack in it not repaired. The town opted to build the present one in its place. So, there are actually two memorials to these four lost young men.

Water creeping up to the memorial site
Benches, kneeling soldier and memorial

It is a nice little park, with the memorial, benches, and cut out soldiers kneeling, as if in prayer. There are 4 lost honored here and I couldn't help but think about the Monsoons in 'Nam as the relentless rain tried to sweep us all away! Those who were in-country  know that it was easy to find yourself in hip deep water in just minutes when the rains came.Oddly, I noticed as I made my escape that the workers were no longer guarding the bridge, just a few orange cones left behind!

I said earlier that Broken Arrow was as near to being rained out as I have ever come, but upon further thought, I think it was actually Hulbert!

2 comments:

  1. the town may have rebuilt it but after some young punks ran over the original monument chapter c of the Vietnam vets mc led the building of the park and the first three sided monument with the pics of the three soldiars from Hulbert who were lost in nam, it was obviously rebuilt again as our monument was a peramid shape. I know thi because I built the wooden benchs and am a former patch holder of chapter c

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    1. Thanks so much for the info. I am always eager for additional facts concerning any memorials.

      Mike

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