Georgia XXII

Back in 2017 I shared some pics from my visit to Ft. Gordon and the surrounding area. One of those smaller memorials was in Columbus, a community show of gratitude and love to those who served and were lost.

You can see that original post here.

In keeping with my ongoing, and seemingly growing, effort to highlight the faces seen on my journeys, the ones I call Faces of Remembrance, I returned today to that small, local, memorial and am sharing the faces from it that represent all who served.

These faces, as is the usual way, seem to be of no particular persons. Artist most often do this to avoid legal hassles down the road. Sometimes the faces or statues are a composite of several people, but I could find no indication that this was true in this case. Imagine if someday someone said "Hey, that's me and I want to be paid"or to have it taken down. What a mess that could be.

Next time, on November 5th, we will revisit Hawai'i', so join me there, as usual, 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.

I will ask, as I do at the end of nearly every post now, for anyone who has pictures of Vietnam memorials not seen here to please send them to me. I will give you full photo credit for the pic and any information about it you may know. Check your state, or anywhere you may have visited, from the list at the left, or any place else. Please send them to the email at the left or directly to me at Ldddad@comcast.net. Thanks!

Georgia X

At Fort Benning, in Columbus, Georgia, is a 3/4 size replica of the Wall.

While similar, it is different in several ways. Obviously it is smaller, 240 feet by 8 feet high. Also, it is rectangular, not sloping like DC.

In addition, the names are grouped alphabetically, by year, making an individual name easier to find, perhaps.

It lies just adjacent to the Heritage Walk just outside the National Infantry Museum at the Fort. The Walk features thousands of pavers honoring the many who have served.

In my reading up on this, after my visit, it is unclear about how long this memorial will remain at Fort Benning. One place says it will remain until "at least 2019," another says that the Museum will be come its permanent home.

As you enter the Vietnam Memorial Plaza, where the wall is placed you, also, see this memorial and a couple of others dedicated dedicated to those who served and those who served at home: families.

Next time, on the 6th, we will take another look at Iowa, so join me there at 9:00am.

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

Georgia VI

Columbus is the home of a major military installation that has a terrific infantry museum and a couple of memorials I will write about at a later time. Today, however, I want to share with you a smaller, local, memorial built by the surrounding community.

Located in a small park on the corner of Buena Vista Road and Lawyers Lane it honors not only those who were lost but all that served.

The morning we arrived (my lifelong friend and 'Nam vet Steve was with me) it was so humid and foggy I couldn't get a shot without my camera lenses completely fogging up. I've never really had this happen before. so, we waited and waited for the sun to rise a little higher and burn some of the fog off and for the camera components to clear and become usable.

Once they did, we got to work.

The memorial is made entirely of bricks, some of which have been sculpted to create a scene of several vets, similar to The Three Servicemen at the Wall in DC. I have only seen an all brick memorial once before, in Pennsylvania.

It turned into a beautiful day and I was pleased that we waited for the humidity and fog to dissipate. I love these community memorials after writing about so many of the larger, more elaborate ones throughout the country, it is these that I spend the most time at now.

The bricks adjacent to the soldiers are covered with names. There seemed to be no notation as to branch of service, years served in-country, or if any of these were lost. Just a community remembering and honoring their own.

Next time, on the 28th, we will venture back to Maine, so join me there, as usual, at 9:00am.

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