World War II Memorial, South Bend, Washington
N 46° 39.774 W 123° 48.566
10T E 438076 N 5168022
This small memorial is on the hill above South Bend, Washington.
Waymark Code: WMHCBZ
Location: Washington, United States
Date Posted: 06/23/2013
Views: 3
South Bend is known for the elaborate and imposing courthouse, which can be seen high on the hill overlooking South Bend, Washington. Included on or near the courthouse property, there is also a lovely and serene park, with a pond, a small waterfall and a walking path, along with an interpretive display of signs, touting local history and local attractions. Located adjacent this display is a small grassy knoll, with a flagpole and two granite markers, which are memorials to the Veterans of World War I and World War II, who have connections to Pacific County.
I located a website which provides some interesting history of this memorial, along with a citation which indicates "Licensing: This essay is licensed under a Creative Commons license that encourages reproduction with attribution. Credit should be given to both HistoryLink.org and to the author, and sources must be included with any reproduction." I will provide the link, credit and the author here:
CREDIT: HistoryLink.org
AUTHOR: By Jennifer Ott, June 28, 2011
LINK: (
visit link)
Quote: "Memorial Ways
The courthouse grounds remained undeveloped for several years after the building's construction. On Memorial Day in 1920, the grounds were dedicated to the memory of Pacific County residents who lost their lives in World War I. On the 4th of July that same year, South Bend renamed Vine Street, which connected the courthouse with the riverfront, Memorial Way. Twenty-four pine oaks, each representing one of the lives lost, were planted along the sidewalk between Memorial Way and the courthouse entrance. These trees were later replaced by cypress trees with bronze markers.
In 1925, the South Bend American Legion dedicated a flagpole and a memorial tablet in honor of the John C. Fremont Post No. 69 of the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of veterans who served in the Union Army during the Civil War. They added two cannons alongside the flagpole in 1927, but had to remove them in 1942 when the government requested their return.
During the 1940s, the cypress trees had to be removed because they had become diseased. After World War II, two marble stones placed near the flagpole honored Pacific County citizens lost in each world war."