Major General Adna Chaffee - Armored Memorial - Arlington, VA - Etched in Stone on Waymarking.com

County of memorial: Arlington County
Loction of memorial: Memorial Drive, entrance to Arlington National Cemetery, across from 101st Monument, Arlington
Artist: Harold J. Schaller, sculptor; Phillip H.Candella, sculptor; Jody A. Harmon, sculptor; Robert J. Torsrud, sculptor; Edward Epstein, sculptor
Architect: Fred B. Raines
Contractor: Peacock Memorials
Fabricator: North Barre Granite Company
Commissioned: 1986

Monument Text:
(Sculpture Face - upper right):

FORGING THE
THUNDERBOLT (Sculpture - below image): "A BALANCED TEAM OF COMBAT ARMS AND SERVICES
OF EQUAL IMPORTANCE AND EQUAL PRESTIGE."
Maj. Gen. Adna R. Chaffee
Father of the American
Armored Force (Wall Face): THEIR VALOR
IS YOUR
HERITAGE (Wall, under seals): UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WAR OFFICE
TANK DESTROYERS
DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS.
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

The Top of the wall is inscribed with names of campaigns from World War I to present and includes the battalions, companies, and regiments commissioned in the history of Armored Service

A balance team of combat arms and services of
equal importance and equal prestige. ”

Such was the vision of MG Adna R. Chaffee, the first Chief of Armor and the “Father of the American Armored Force.” These words are now etched in granite in Washington, D.C. to serve as both a memorial to those who have fought in steel steeds and as an inspiration to future generations of Americans who view our new monument in our nation’s capital." ~ Armored November-December 1991 Edition

---

Proper Description: Highly polished black granite panel etched with a military scene of tanks moving across a mountainous landscape. In the clouds in the upper left is a man on horseback and in the upper right is a lightning bolt with the words "FORGING THE THUNDERBOLT." The black granite panel is centered on a semicircular wall etched with insignias of the various armed forces divisions. On top are etchings of maps and descriptions of the campaigns from WWI, WWII, Mediterranean theater, European theater, Pacific theater, Korean War, Vietnam, and Desert Storm." ~ Smithsonian American Art Museum

Address: 1 Memorial Drive, Arlington, VA 22211 Website: [Web Link]

Visit Instructions:
Please include the following with your submission of a visit:

1. Photograph as a proof of your visit.
2. Short narrative. Tell of your visit, share something new, edit the waymark with additional quotes found a the location, add new visiting hours or anything that would be nice to know when visiting the location.
3. Finally, please add a visit if you go to the area and you find the building, memorial, memorial or structure has been removed. Please submit an edit to the waymark adding the words {Historic/Removed} at the end. Also, edit the short description to annotate the reason it was removed for the value to other visitors.

Recent Visits/Logs:

There are no logs for this waymark yet.