WALK OF MEMORIES. American Legion 201, Alpharetta, GA - Donated Engraved Bricks and Pavers on Waymarking.com

"We had planned for some kind of memorial for some time," notes J.R. Wages, who headed up the project for the American Legion.

Wages notes that the first piece of the memorial actually came to the site about 15 years ago, when the American Legion post acquired an M-60 tank. The tank, which was trucked to the site from Alabama, required "a pretty good lowboy" to move it — not to mention a wrecker that could position it on its new display pad once it arrived at its new home.

Several years later, Wages continues, the Post decided to acquire an aircraft to enhance its exhibits.

"We finally found a U.S. Army H1 Medevac helicopter at Fort Rucker," he says, adding, "The guy who flew that chopper received the first Medal of Honor in Vietnam."

Thanks to the help of a local businessman the chopper eventually found its way to Alpharetta, where it too was put on display atop a steel pedestal as if it is flying a mission.
Chapman explains that the Walk of Memories project includes construction of concrete paver plazas around the helicopter and the tank pad, then connecting the plazas with a concrete paver walkway. Vietnam-era veterans will be honored in the area around the helicopter, while the tank pad plaza will honor veterans of Korea and World War II. In addition, the walkway will include a memorial plaza between the two main pads featuring three marble monuments. A Navy Gun has since been added to the walkway. Eventually, many of the pavers will be engraved to serve as individual memorials; the engraving will be handled by Jiles Engraving based in Lithonia, Ga. These engraved memorial bricks are being sold to the community, notes Wages, adding that the ultimate goal is to "have a brick in that walk for every Georgian who has been killed in action."

American Legion Post 201 website.

WALK OF MEMORIES Website.

Address:
201 Wills Road
Alpharetta, Georgia 30004
Phone Number (770) 475-9023