Pawnee County Veterans' Memorials and Walk Of Honor

A multi-faceted memorial consisting of a central Soldiers and Sailors Monument with 3 large, vertically-oriented, polished gray granite tablets to its front, and flanked by 4 flagpoles, a lower and upper Walk of Honor, 2 raised, horizontally-oriented, reddish granite slab memorials commemorating local 45th Infantry Division Regiments, and American Indian Pawnee Nation Code Talkers. A field artillery gun, and 4 green benches are also positioned adjacent to, and at the east end of the lower walkway, respectively. The memorial has evolved over time, from its beginning on Armistice Day, November 11, 1922, to the present day, with the addition of other war period memorials and veterans’ service commemorations. The tall Soldiers and Sailors Monument is set in the center of a circular walkway, on elevated ground, on a stone base. The monument is bordered by a raised concrete wall, among decorative plantings, and features a granite statue of a World War I “Doughboy” soldier holding a grounded rifle to his front. The soldier statue stands atop an elevated granite column, resting on a 4-tiered sculpted and patterned granite base. On the front (west) face of the column is an Honor Roll with the names of 38 veterans who perished in the war. Immediately below, on the 4th tier granite base, is inscribed: "ERECTED BY THE CITIZENS OF PAWNEE COUNTY TO COMMEMORATE THE VALOR OF THE SONS OF AMERICA WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE SERVICE OF THEIR COUNTRY DURING THE WORLD WAR APRIL 6, 1917 – NOVEMBER 11, 1918" Directly to the front of the soldier monument, on lower ground in front of the raised concrete wall, is a large gray granite tablet, resting on a granite base. The tablet displays the engraved image of a soldier holding “dog tags” in his hand, squatting before a field memorial consisting of a reversed rifle with bayonet in the ground, with a helmet on the butt end. Below the image is inscribed: "DEDICATED TO ALL VETERANS OF PAWNEE COUNTY WHO ARE DEFENDING THE FREEDOM OF OUR GREAT NATION AND TO THE FALLEN BRAVE WHO MADE THE SUPREME SACRIFICE WE ARE PROUD JULY 4, 1991" Flanking the center tablet are 2 additional raised gray granite tablets, resting on granite bases. The tablet to the left (north) is inscribed: “WORLD WAR II 1941 – 1945” and bears the names of 93 veterans. The tablet to the right (south) is inscribed: “KOREA 1950 – 1953” and bears the names of 3 veterans. Below that, is inscribed: “SOUTHEAST ASIA 1961 – 1975” and bears the names of 6 veterans. At the bottom of the tablet is inscribed: “DEDICATED BY THE VETERANS AND FRIENDS OF PAWNEE COUNTY”. The left and right tablets were dedicated on Veterans Day, November 11, 1991. To the rear of the flanking tablets, between them and the soldier monument, are arrayed 4 flagpoles, 2 on either side, front (west) and rear (east). The front flagpoles fly the American Flag (north) and the Oklahoma State Flag (south); the rear flagpoles fly the Prisoner of War/Missing In Action (POW/MIA) flag (north) and Pawnee Nation Flag (south). A tall light pole, with an extended arm overhead the monument, provides illumination for the soldier statue, flags, and other features within the circular walkway during the hours of darkness. The primary entry to the memorial is via a wide concrete lower walkway, off Sixth Street. At the beginning of the Walk is a brick planter for flowers, incised with the names of members of the Veterans Memorial Committee. At the start point of the bricked Walk is an inlaid gray granite title marker, inscribed: “WALK OF HONOR PAWNEE COUNTY VETERANS DEDICATED MEMORIAL DAY MAY 30, 1992”. Inlaid Individual bricks engraved with the names of Pawnee County Servicemen and women follow along the walkway. The Walk runs some 37 yards east, toward the soldier monument and Courthouse, and extends to the circular walkway. At the east end of the lower walkway is an inlaid granite marker inscribed: "MEDAL OF HONOR” followed by the names of 3 county veterans who were awarded the Medal of Honor. The upper Walk resumes on the rear (east) side of the circular walkway, and runs some 15 yards towards the Courthouse. At the beginning of the upper walkway is an inlaid gray granite marker inscribed: “PAWNEE COUNTY VETERANS MAY 31, 1995”. At the end of the upper walkway is another inlaid gray granite testimonial marker to “AN OLD SOLDIER.” Over 1500 bricks honor Pawnee County veterans of all Branches of Service along the span of the Walk of Honor. Along the entry walkway, on the north side, are 2 reddish granite memorials, each mounted on 2 silver-colored steel columns, embedded in concrete pads. The first (west), nearest the beginning of the lower Walk, is dedicated to the memory of members of the local Oklahoma National Guard units for their participation in World War II and the Korean War. The front of the memorial is incised with a replica of the “Thunderbird” shoulder sleeve insignia (patch) surrounded by the inscription: “45TH INFANTRY DIVISION CO B 179TH INF REGT WORLD WAR II” and “CO B 279TH INF REGT KOREAN WAR”. The rear of the memorial is inscribed: “EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS, WW II” followed by a listing of the 8 campaigns and dates that Company B, 179th Infantry Regiment, 45th infantry “Thunderbird” Division participated in during the war. Then inscribed is: “KOREAN CONFLICT” followed by a listing of the 4 campaigns and dates that Company B, 279th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry “Thunderbird” Division participated in during that war. The second (east) memorial, nearest the end of the lower Walk, is dedicated to the memory of the Pawnee Code Talkers of World War II. Embedded in the top corners, on the front (west) face of the memorial, are 2 Congressional Gold Medals, displaying its front and rear sides. The face is inscribed: “DEDICATED TO THE PAWNEE NATION CODE TALKERS OF WORLD WAR II MONDAY, MAY 25, 2015” (Memorial Day) “PAWNEE NATION CODE TALKERS” and then lists the names of 9 Pawnee and 1 Navajo code talkers, including 1 Pawnee Tribe member killed in action. At the bottom is added: “DEDICATED BY THE CITIZENS OF PAWNEE COUNTY & THE PAWNEE COUNTY VETERANS MEMORIAL COMMITTEE”. The rear of the memorial is incised with the profile head of a wolf and inscribed: “THE AMERICAN INDIAN & PAWNEE NATION CODE TALKERS WERE PATRIOTS & HEROES. THEIR CODES WERE NEVER BROKEN & MANY CARRIED THEIR SECRETS TO THE GRAVE. CODE TALKERS REPRESENTING 26 AMERICAN INDIAN TRIBES WERE RECOGNIZED & HONORED AT A CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL CEREMONY IN WASHINGTON, D.C. ON NOVEMBER 20, 2013.” (Note: The wolf image recalls the Pawnee Tribe's name, "wolves," given by other tribes, for their cunning and courage.) Along the right (south) side of the entry walkway, near the mid-point of the lower Walk, is a World War I (1917) field artillery gun. The piece is placed in a simulated firing position, on a concrete pad, mounted on 4 concrete stands, on static display. At the east end of the lower Walk, on the circular walkway are 4 green metal benches incised: “THEY SERVED WITH HONOR”.