Pennsylvania XXXVII

It was a wet and cold day when I finally got to head to Pennsylvania once again. I had just finished up in Reading (you can find that post here) and decided to see what else was in the area. I had read that there was a small memorial in Pottstown which was only about thirty minutes away, so off I went. 

The memorial was pictured as a small four sided memorial to several wars and was supposed to be on a particular corner, but when I got there, I could not find it anywhere.

I found a place to pull over and started hunting on-line once again, thinking that maybe I had gotten in wrong. I found something about a park in the town with some memorials and headed over.

The park had several full sized memorials in it but I didn't see one to 'Nam. All there was was this gazebo and a sign about an All Veteran Walk of Honor. There were lots of names and some were honoring those lost in Vietnam. Nice, but it was not what I had expected or hoped it would be. (I'll feature that Walk in a later post.)

 

I walked up the steps into the gazebo just to look around, and there, out behind it I found this.

I have often spoken about how I have never been "weathered" out of a photo. I've been in rain, snow, 117 degree heat, etc., but always got the pic and you can see that the weather on this particular day was not the best but I couldn't pass up this great site.

The "plaza" in front of the memorial has a continuation of the many, many names on the Walk of Honor.

We will return to this site in the future, there is a lot here and it deserves to be seen.

I have said previously that my buddy Steve and I have run into situations before where memorials we had info on turned out to be incorrect and we have talked about and learned a bit about persistence. What started out as an effort to photograph what was by all accounts a rather small, somewhat nondescript memorial turned from disappointment to finding this wonderful site honoring so many.

Next time, on the 4th of May, we will return to Virginia, so join me there, as always, at 9:00am.

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

Oregon XIX

One more in the Faces of Remembrance series on this site. 

Oregon City is the home to this unassuming, difficult to find memorial to one who was awarded the Medal of Honor. My buddy, Steve, and I drove around for quite sometime attempting to locate it. We finally pulled into a parking lot in the area and were about to ask for some help when we spied it, off in a corner, in a copse of trees. 

I've written about the memorial itself before and you can find that post here.

Today, as is the focus of this subset of posts, just the face.

Here is some additional info regarding this hero:

SPECIALIST 4 DAHL WAS ASSIGNED TO 359TH TRANS CO, 27TH TRANS BATTALION, 8TH TRANS GROUP. HE WAS KILLED IN ACTION WHILE ASSIGNED AS A MACHINE GUNNER ON A GUN TRUCK NEAR AN KHE, BIN DINH PROVINCE, 23 FEBRUARY 1971. AN ENEMY HAND GRENADE WAS THROWN INTO DAHL'S TRUCK AND REALIZING THE DANGER, DAHL'S TRUCK AND REALIZING THE DANGER, DAHL SHOUTED TO HIS COMPANIONS AND THREW HIMSELF DIRECTLY ONTO THE GRENADE HE SAVED THE LIVES OF THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE TRUCK CREW WHILE SACRIFICING HIS OWN. FOR HIS COURAGE, CONCERN AND EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM, SPECIALIST LARRY DAHL WAR AWARDED THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR POSTHUMOUSLY.

 

This information was taken from the Memorial Day foundations site. Check out this important organization here: 

https://www.memorialdayfoundation.org/

 

 

Here is a photo I found on the Congressional Medal of Honor website.

 

The memorial may be found near the intersection of Tumwater Drive and S. 2nd Street.

Next time, on the 29th, we will return to Pennsylvania, so join me there, as always, at 9:00am.

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

North Carolina XVIII

High Point is a city about 20 miles southwest of Greensboro. Known by many as the furniture manufacturing capitol of the country and it is also home to many sports stars, writers, entertainers and James Dickey, author of Deliverance. Interestingly, it also the only city in North Carolina that lies in four countys.

The memorial there is a multi-war memorial honoring several different wars.

The memorial sits upon a plaza that is covered with the names of many who served and a variety of supporters.

No names on the memorial itself, but we are remembered among the several other 20th Century involvements listed here.

Next time, on the 24th, we will return to Oregon, so join me there, as always, at 9:00am.

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

New York XXVII

Once again I find myself in a quandary. I have asked my readers to send me pics of sites not seen on A Means to Heal, and some of you have done so (thank you again). I am still interested in anything you might have!

My friend Mike Minnick who has so unselfishly shared his pics in the past sent me the ones that follow. They are from Berne, New York, but that is all I know. I have searched and searched the internet, but as is so often happens, I cannot find a single word about them.

As always, I appeal to you: please contact me if you know any information, there is an email on the left side of this page.

Obviously, they are from what is called a multi-war memorial, but it, also, seems that there is a statue, perhaps of a fireman.

This particular type of memorial, in case you have not been here before, is called a Field Cross. Its origins date back to the Civil War and was a way for soldiers to mark where a comrade was lost. It is interesting sometimes to visit memorial sites and note the subtle changes in these markers through the years. It becomes quite natural to be able to tell what war a soldier was lost in by the type of boots, rifle or helmet that is depicted.

As stated this is a multi-war memorial and the names inscribed upon the bricks honor so many, from so many wars and service.

This small sample represents and honors those listed, and those not, for their willingness to serve their fellow man.

Next time, on the 19th, we will revisit North Carolina, so meet me there, as usual, at 9:00am.

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

New Mexico XXI

At the New Mexico Veterans Memorial there is so much to see. I have written about it elsewhere on this site and you can check that out here.

I have been posting often lately about the faces on memorials and shall do so today also, with one difference.

In addition to the face on the main Vietnam memorial here, I will also share the faces of a soldier returning to his family, something I have only see rarely on this journey.

Once inside this remarkable site you find this lone soldier, as seen in the post listed above.

But, elsewhere, you see this poignant statue of a returning soldier. It is called The Welcome Home Memorial.

Another unusual feature is that it is made of carved wood, I can only think of one other and it, too, is in New Mexico

The family

The soldier

The wife

 

Their child

 The plaque below says:

Welcome Home Veterans

The grateful people of New Mexico

want to thank you for

keeping us safe.

It is quite rare to see a memorial that depicts those other than a military member, I can only think of a few, but I think this one is particularly moving.

Next time, on the 14th, we will revisit New York, so join me there, as always, at 9:00am.

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

New Jersey XXXI

The memorial in Homdel, New Jersey is one of the very first that I ever visited. It was July of 2009, so, very early in this project.

It surprises me a little that it has taken this long to post the faces, but glad, during this drought of travel and new memorials, to have come upon them.

The faces are of a fallen soldier, his buddy, and a nurse tending to him. You can see a full photo of the memorial here.

The pictures, as always, fascinate me, the ability of the artist to capture the feelings  in the faces is remarkable and, so often, heartrending.

No less the case here. 

The nurse's calm concern is evident and one must wonder about all that she has seen. A reminder that 8 nurses are listed and honored on The Wall, but thousands more carry the weight of their service to those of us who were aided by them. I don't think they get nearly enough credit of thanks.

The friend: concern and compassion for his buddy evident, mixed perhaps with some resignation.

The warrior, his pain and fear are palpable, his future, unknown.

I have posted something similar to this post previously, but was not focusing upon the faces, so today, I hope I honor them.

Next time, on the 9th, we will return to New Mexico, so meet me there at 9:00am.

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