Walk of Honor - Galveston Veterans Memorial - Donated Engraved Bricks and Pavers on Waymarking.com

From the Houston Chronicle
Thayer Evans, Chronicle correspondent,
Thursday, May 23, 2002

Dedication Set for Memorial in Hitchcock

It started as a dream in July 1999. Seven hundred and fifty bricks later, Bob George is seeing his vision become a reality.

On Monday, George, 71, and Galveston's Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 880 will unveil the "Veterans Walk of Honor" memorial during an 11 a.m. ceremony at Jack Brooks Park in Hitchcock.

The ceremony is one of several events scheduled to honor veterans over the Memorial Day weekend in Galveston County.

"This took a tremendous amount of work," said George, the post's senior vice commander. "At times, it was very frustrating, but the end result will be a memorial that all veterans can be proud of."

The Walk of Honor is made of engraved bricks purchased by private donors. It also includes five flag poles that bear the insignia of the five U.S. military branches.

The cost for each brick ranges from $35 to $41, depending on the number of engraved lines. All proceeds benefit the post's Veterans Fund Program, which provides veterans and their families with financial assistance in emergencies.

"The memorial's purpose is to honor all U.S. military veterans, including those who did not engage in combat," said George, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1948-76. "The memorial's only requirements are U.S. military service and an honorable discharge."

Most of the memorial's honorees are Galveston County residents, but there are notable exceptions, including former President George Bush, who recently purchased a brick.

"We sent him a letter about four months ago informing him of the memorial," George said. "He replied in about three weeks with a check and requested that `George H. Bush, 41st President of the United States, U.S. Navy' be engraved on his brick."

Other honorees include three Medal of Honor recipients, two Civil War veterans and several Desert Storm veterans.

No bricks have yet been purchased for veterans from Operation Enduring Freedom, the current conflict against terrorists, he said.

"But then again, a lot of those boys are still serving. I'm sure we'll honor a few of them in the near future," George said.

"All veterans should be treated equally and accordingly, no matter the circumstances," he said. "It's not enough to simply remember veterans on Memorial Day. They should be honored and respected for their efforts year-round."

Walk of Honor bricks are still available for purchase. For more information, contact George at 409-744-1626 or the VFW Post 880 at 409-763-9866.

Featured brick:

John W. Gilchrist
US Navy 1942-44
World War II
Killed In Action
USS LEXINGTON

Honor States Website

SERVICE OVERVIEW

Name:John W Gilchrist
From: Kansas
War: World War II
Branch:US Navy
Rank:Ensign
MIA Status: Declared Dead while Missing
Death:November 6, 1945
Cause: Missing in action or lost at sea
Awarded: Purple Heart

REMEMBERED and MEMORIALS

John W Gilchrist is memorialized at Tablets of the Missing at Manila American Cemetery, Manila, Philippines. This is an American Battle Monuments Commission location.

Setting of your bricks:: Park Name of Display: Veteran's Walk of Honor Approximate number of bricks in display: 750 Name on One Brick: John W. Gilchrist

Visit Instructions:
Please choose a name and provide a close-up of it. Maybe it's one of your relatives or someone with the same name or just the closest one you see. Your choice.

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