Lt. Col. Ernest Childers - Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
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Max and 99
N 36° 02.514 W 095° 47.418
15S E 248619 N 3992198
Ernest "Chief" Childers, Native American Medal of Honor recipient, located in Veteran's Park, Broken Arrow
Waymark Code: WM8BTH
Location: Oklahoma, United States
Date Posted: 03/08/2010
Views: 14
Lt. Col. Ernest Childers, born in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, was the first Native American to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor. He was awarded this medal for his bravery in WWII in Italy. There is a sculpture in his likeness located at Floral Haven Cemetery next to the Veteran's Field of Honor. There are plaques there to commemorate his achievements and his crypt is located on the base of the Memorial.
This sculpture of Lt. Childers is located in Veteran's Park, next to a beautiful War Memorial honoring all women who served our country, and near a sculpture titled "American Patriot", honoring all Broken Arrow military veterans. There is also a beautiful fountain with colored lights.
The Lt. Col. Childers sculpture at Veteran's Park is inside a circular landscaped area with pathways leading to and away from him. There are a few plaques placed around this landscaped area giving information on the park itself and Lt. Childers.
From the Smithsonian Art Inventory page:
Inscription:
(On plinth, rear:) ALLAN/HOUSER/94/HOUZOUS (Founder's mark of an "F" inside an "S" appears) (On plaque 1 on concrete marker:) DEDICATED WITH GRATITUDE BY/THE BROKEN ARROW ROTARY CLUB TO/LT. COL. ERNEST CHILDERS/SEPTEMBER 24, 1994/SCULPTOR/ALLAN HOUSER/1914-1994 (On plaque 2 on concrete marker:) ON SEPTEMBER 22, 1943 IN OLIVETO, ITALY,/25 YEAR OLD ERNEST CHILDERS/...LED EIGHT INFANTRYMEN AGAINST A/...GERMAN POSITION./...FOR HIS HEROISM, HE WAS AWARDED.../...THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR signed Founder's mark appears.
Dimensions:
Sculpture: approx. 9 1/2 ft. x 37 in. x 37 in.; Base: approx. 13 in. x 6 1/2 ft. x 6 1/2 ft.
Description:
Full-length statue of Lt. Col. Ernest Childers stands on a rough-hewn plinth. He wears a decorated military dress uniform and is wrapped in a buffalo blanket. The Congressional Medal of Honor hangs round his neck. The sculpture stands on a flat surface.
Remarks:
Commissioned by the Broken Arrow Rotary Club in honor of Lt. Col. Ernest Childers, an American Indian and recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor. IAS files include related articles from Tulsa World, Sept. 25, 1994 and the Broken Arrow Ledger, Sept. 27, 1994.
TITLE: Lt. Col. Ernest Childers
ARTIST(S): Allan Houser
DATE: 1994. Dedicated Sept. 24, 1994.
MEDIUM: Sculpture: bronze with dark patina; Base: pink granite
CONTROL NUMBER: IAS OK000198
Direct Link to the Individual Listing in the Smithsonian Art Inventory: [Web Link]
PHYSICAL LOCATION:
Veteran's Park, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
DIFFERENCES NOTED BETWEEN THE INVENTORY LISTING AND YOUR OBSERVATIONS AND RESEARCH:
none
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