Hillcrest Memorial Park - War on Terror and Iran Hostage Memorials
N 41° 14.123 W 080° 27.667
17T E 545159 N 4565027
This cemetery in the small city of Hermitage, Pennsylvania features stirring memorials to fallen veterans of large and small conflicts since the Vietnam War, including the ongoing War on Terrorism.
Waymark Code: WM1H4V
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 05/09/2007
Views: 157
Hillcrest Memorial Park is relatively famous for its display of 444 US flags, one for each day of the Iran Hostage Crisis. How does that relate to a Veterans' Memorial Waymark? Well, each flag has since been "sponsored" with the name of a fallen hero in a conflict that's taken place since the "Avenue of Flags" was installed in February 1980. Wander among the flagpoles and you will see tributes to heroes who fell in service to their country in Somalia, Afghanistan and Iraq. (Can you find others?)
I came here expecting only to take pictures of the Avenue of Flags. What I found next simply astounded me. Beyond the posted coordinates, which are for the memorial to those who died in the Iran Hostage incident, there is a second memorial. A modern Stonehenge of sorts, featuring tall acrylic monoliths with plaques. Each plaque lists the names of veterans who have fallen since September 2001 in the War on Terror. The type style of the plaques is very reminiscent of the Vietnam "Wall" Memorial in Washington, DC. And the effect on the viewer is similar as well.
But the difference here is that this war is ongoing, and new plaques are added to the memorial each month. See the photo in the gallery showing the names of those who fell during March 2007 -- the most recent plaque. Then, I turned around and saw empty plaques. Let us hope that we defeat our enemies before the plaques fill up with names.
If you see a plaque for a month more recent than March 2007, please try to post a picture to the gallery. And please wander among the flags and read some of the individual dedication plaques, like the examples posted in the gallery. Add one or two of your own.
This is the first waymark that made me cry.
Type of Memorial: Multi-War Memorial
Wars mentioned (Multi-war only):
Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981
Action in Somalia, 1993
The War on Terror, 2001-present
In Honor Of: The War on Terror Memorial lists the names of each soldier. The Iran Hostage Memorial has a dedication plaque (see gallery).
Date of dedication: February 1980
Who Put it Here?: The Memorial is administered by The Avenue of Flags Foundation.
Description of Memorial:
The Memorial is set within the Hillcrest Memorial Park, a modern, active cemetery.
Marker Text: Not listed
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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.