WW1 Monument Honoring American War Mothers - San Antonio, TX, USA - World War I Memorials and Monuments on Waymarking.com

At the right-hand side of what is now the Tobin Center for the Perfoming Arts building is the San Antonio Municipal Auditorium. When facing the corner end of the front facade, you will see a WW1 Memorial that is in front of three vertical windows on the right corner of the auditorium. It is near the intersection of Auditorium Circle and Jefferson Street. It is a white marble monument about six feet tall with a prayerful woman (a mother) surrounded on her right side with several "doughboys" wearing WW1 field uniforms, helmets and carrying their rifles with fixed bayonnets. The inscription under this massive carving reads: "Honoring The Mothers Whose Sons Fought In The World War./ Erected by San Antonio Chapter No. 2/ 1938".

"The American War Mothers was founded in 1917 and was incorporated by an Act of Congress February 24, 1925. [The American War Mothers] are a perpetual patriotic, 501(c) 4 non-profit, non-political, non-sectarian, non-partisan organization whose members are Mothers of children who have served or are serving in the Armed Services during a time of conflict.(1)" This monument was erected only 13 years after the incorporation of the AWMs, when President Calvin Coolidge signed the Congressional Charter for the National War Mothers. Furthermore, in 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt ratified the charter to include the mothers of the sons and daughters who fought in WW2. Then, in 1953, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the amendment that extended the membership to mothers of those who fought in the Korean Conflict and any further American wars (2). The American War Mothers are responsible for the adoption and use of the Service Flag or Service Banner to show that a son or daughter is serving on active duty when the flag contains a blue star, and that a son or daughter had died while in the service if the flag has a gold star. This Service Flag that the American War Mothers have popularized is the only flag that has been authorized to fly over the US Capitol Building on the same pole as the US flag. This began on Veterans Day in 1926 and has occured on that date every year since. The AWMs also were behind the creation and sale of the Mother's Day stamp and the sale of carnations to raise funds for their hospital work, veteran aid or civic welfare. Also, the American War Mothers were very infuential in gaining a significant number of signatures for the petition to get an act of Congress making The Star Spangled Banner the national anthem. This often unknown or overlooked organization of mothers has had an impact on our nation and on the welfare of our Armed Service members. This is a worthy war memorial for those from WW1 on up to the present.



Source references:
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(2) (visit link)

Date the Monument or Memorial was built or dedicated: 01/01/1938 Private or Public Monument?: Private Name of the Private Organization or Government Entity that built this Monument: American War Mothers, San Antonio Chapter No. 2 Geographic Region where the Monument is located: North America Website for this Monument: [Web Link] Physical Address of Monument: 100 Auditorium Circle San Antonio, TX USA 78205 Rate this waymark: Photo or photos will be uploaded.: yes

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