Veterans Memorial Park - Sheridan, AR - Non-Specific Veteran Memorials on Waymarking.com

Veterans Memorial Park is on the east side of Grant, about five miles north of Sheridan. This park has an interesting history. During World War II, a B-17 Flying Fortress developed mechanical issues and crashed here, killing all on board. In 1944, a year after the incident, a stone marker was erected at the crash site dedicated to the memory of the nine airmen who lost their lives. The marker and even the incident were all but forgotten until 1984 when Boy Scout Jerry Jackson and his father discovered the marker in the woods. Jackson adopted the restoration of the area as his Eagle Scout project and worked with the Grant County Museum to create a more prominent memorial to the airmen. Jackson was killed in a car accident at the age of sixteen in 1986, but his project was continued by the American Legion post of Grant County. Their efforts resulted in the opening of the Grant County Veterans Memorial Park on October 12, 2015. Monuments here honor the lost B-17 crew and veterans of numerous conflicts.

Type of Memorial: Multi-War Memorial Wars mentioned (Multi-war only): Civil War World War I World War II Korea Vietnam In Honor Of: Veterans Marker Text: -none- Date of dedication: 10/12/2015 Who Put it Here?: American Legion / Grant County Description of Memorial: There is a road-side pull out on the east side of Grant Road, where a brick arch forms the entry to the park. Just inside the arch is the original memorial set in 1944 in honor of the crew of the crashed B-17. The centerpiece of the park is a full-sized replica of their aircraft. Behind (that is, east) of the aircraft is a brick plaza flanked by two memorial walls naming veterans from the conflicts listed above, from World War I through Vietnam. The names of veterans are also found around the walls of the pavilion and are engraved into pavers along the walkways. On both sides of the stairs leading up to the plaza are the seals of the Armed Services. The flags of the Armed Services are hung along the edge of the plaza. A separate memorial honors dead Union and Confederate Civil War soldiers who fought in the Engagement at Jenkins’ Ferry, which occurred nearby.

Visit Instructions:
Visited Logs must contain, at least, a picture of the monument and your GPSr. Preferably YOU at the monument with your GPSr, but we understand that some people are camera-shy.
It is suggested you please include something about your visit here, as well.

Recent Visits/Logs:

There are no logs for this waymark yet.