Harnett County Veterans Park, Lillington
The Harnett County Veterans Park was created in 2004 in conjunction with the opening of a new county courthouse that stands adjacent to the park. The oldest memorial in the park (Harnett County Veterans Memorial) was dedicated in 1949 and relocated from the former courthouse grounds. All other memorials appear to have been created and placed since 2004. The Emergency Services Memorial was dedicated on September 11, 2015 but dates of other pieces of the memorial complex were not determined.
The feature element of the park is a large octagon shaped concrete walkway with five spokes meeting at a large octagon centerpiece made of red tile with a smaller raised octagon of granite inside. All wars beginning with the Revolution War are incised around the sides of the granite octagon. The great seal of North Carolina in bronze is centered in the granite element. At least 18 memorials, markers and benches have been placed around the outside of the concrete walkway. Aside from a Battlefield Cross of metal all memorial pieces are made of granite.
Images:
View of the Memorial Park |
Dedication stone |
Octagon Centerpiece
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Great seal of North Carolina |
Centerpiece plaque |
Battlefield Cross |
Emergency Services Memorial |
Global War on Terror |
Korea and Vietnam wars |
POW/MIA marker |
USS Harnett County |
Harnett County Veterans Memorial dedicated in 1949 |
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Dedication stone: WE COME THIS 11TH DAY OF / NOVEMBER 2004 TO THANK THOSE / WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN BATTLE / DEFENDING OUR FREEDOM. / WE DEDICATE THIS PARK TO THEIR MEMORY, / HOPING THEY WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN.
Centerpiece: MEXICAN WAR / WAR OF 1812 / AMERICAN REVOLUTION / SPANISH AMERICAN WAR / CIVIL WAR / WORLD WAR I / WORLD WAR II / KOREAN WAR / VIETNAM WAR / DESERT SHIELD / DESERT STORM / GLOBAL WAR ON TERROR
Centerpiece plaque: CENTERPIECE TILE DONATED IN PART BY / NC-CVMA CHAPTER 51-1 / IN HONOR OF THE 1ST ANNUAL / CHARLIE MIKE BIKE RIDE / MEMORIALIZING NORTH CAROLINA / VIETNAM VETERANS / WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES AND THOSE / WHO ARE STILL MISSING IN ACTION
Emergency Services Memorial, Center Panel: THIS MEMORIAL IS DEDICATED TO ALL / HARNETT COUNTY EMERGENCY SERVICES / WORKERS WHO HAVE MADE THE / ULTIMATE SACRIFICE IN / SERVING THEIR COMMUNITY / ROLL OF HONOR /
[Left Column] TERRY CARROL / OTIS E. STEPHENSON /
[Right Column] RALPH B. JONES / DONNIE SUGGS
Emergency Services Memorial, Left Panel: A FIREFIGHTER’S PRAYER / WHEN I AM CALLED TO DUTY, GOD, / WHENEVER FLAMES MAY RAGE; / GIVE ME STRENGTH TO SAVE SOME LIFE, / WHATEVER BE ITS AGE. / HELP ME EMBRACE A LITTLE CHILD / BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE / OR SAVE AN OLDER PERSON FROM / THE HORROR OF THAT FATE. / ENABLE ME TO BE ALERT / AND HEAR THE WEAKEST SHOUT, / AND QUICKLY AND EFFICIENTLY / TO PUT THE FIRE OUT. / I WANT TO FILL MY CALLING / AND TO GIVE THE BEST IN ME, / TO GUARD MY EVERY NEIGHBOR / AND PROTECT HIS PROPERTY. / AND IF, ACCORDING TO MY FATE, / I AM TO LOSE MY LIFE; / PLEASE BLESS WITH YOUR PROTECTING HAND / MY CHILDREN AND MY WIFE.
Emergency Services Memorial, Right Panel: AN EMS PRAYER / AS I PERFORM MY DUTIES LORD / WHATEVER BE THE CALL, / HELP TO GUIDE AND KEEP ME SAFE / FROM DANGERS BIG AND SMALL. / I WANT TO SERVE AND DO MY BEST / NO MATTER WHAT THE SCENE, / I PLEDGE TO KEEP MY SKILLS REFINED / MY JUDGEMENT QUICK AND KEEN. / THIS CALLING TO GIVE OF MYSELF / MOST DO NOT UNDERSTAND, / BUT I STAND READY ALL THE TIME / TO HELP MY FELLOW MAN. / TO HAVE A CHANCE TO HELP A CHILD / RESTORE HIS LAUGH WITH GLEE, / A WORD OF THANKS I MIGHT NOT HEAR / BUT KNOWING IS ENOUGH FOR ME. / THE PRAISE OF MEN IS FINE FOR SOME / BUT I FEEL TRULY BLESSED, / THAT YOU OH LORD HAVE CHOSEN ME / TO SERVE IN EMS!
Emergency Services Memorial, Base: HARNETT COUNTY EMERGENCY SERVICES MEMORIAL
Global War On Terror: IN MEMORY OF / HARNETT COUNTY / VETERANS / WHO LOST THEIR / LIVES IN THE GLOBAL / WAR ON TERROR. / CONNIE RAY PAGE / JOSEPH R. GUERRERA / MARVIN L. MILLER / ROBERT T. JOHNSON / MICHAEL J. RODRIGUEZ / ADAM K. GINETT / TREVOR B. ADKINS / MICHAEL S. DUSKIN
Korea and Vietnam: IN MEMORY OF / HARNETT COUNTY / VETERANS / WHO LOST THEIR LIVES / KOREAN CONFLICT / [Left Column] ROBERT J. ALTEMUS / VERNON L. BRASWELL / JAMES C. BROWN / ARCHIE T. CROOM, JR. / HENRY P. DENNING /
[Right Column]: FRED D. ELLEN / ELI GODWIN / ROGER PORTER / WILLIAM D. RAYNOR / EDWARD M. SMITH / WILLIE R. WADE /
VIETNAM ERA : [Left Column] JAMES E. BUTLER / JAMES E. BYRD / DONNY R. CAMPBELL / CHARLES COOK / JERRY A. DENNIS / ISAAC R. DRAUGHON / MARVIN A. GIES / JAMES L. HALL / ALBERT L. JOHNSON / DENNING C. JOHNSON / KENNETH M. LEE / ROY R. LEE /
[Right Column]: RICHARD F. MASON / LARRY D. MCKOY / ALEX L. MCLEAN / ROBERT D. MCMILLIAN / LONNIE E. MCNEILL / WILLIAM B. PARNELL / LEONARD M. PARRISH / GERALD A. PHILLIPS / ROBERT L. SMITH / DONALD D. STEWART / EUGENE W. WICKER / WILLAM S. WILLIS
POW/MIA marker: POW ★ MIA / YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN
USS Harnett County: USS HARNETT COUNTY / LST-821 / IN MEMORY / OF / OUR LOST SHIPMATES / U.S. NAVY / ERNEST K. KOTA EN2 / JOHN L. ABRAMS LT / JAMES H. ROMANSKI LTJG / RAYMOND D. ROBINSON AMH3 / DENNIS M. WOBBE AMS3 / ARTHUR J. ELLIOT, II LCDR / CARL J. PETERSON LCDR / RALPH C. MUNSEY BM3 / RICHARD L. BROWN AMH3 / ROBERT J. ARNOLD AT1 / STEPHEN A. JOHNSON AT3
Bench #1: 6TH MARINE DIVISION ASSOCIATION
Bench #2: 461ST ANTI-AIRCRAFT ARTILLERY AW BN
Bench #3: [Side] VETERANS OF THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE / [Top] DECEMBER 16, 1944 JANUARY 25, 1945
Bench #5: DUNN AMERICAN LEGION POST 59
Bench #6: LEE-PARNELL VFW POST 6767
Bench #7: [Side] IN MEMORY OF LEWIS B. REBARKER. SGT. 8TH USAAF / [Top] IN HONOR OF / THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO SERVED IN / THE EIGHT AIR FORCE / IN WORLD WAR II
Bench #8: [Side] CO. B, 230TH SUPPORT BATTALION / [Top] SUPPORTED THE GLOBAL WAR ON TERROR / BY MERITORIOUS SERVICE IN IRAQ / DURING OPERATION IRAQ FREEDOM / 2004 2005
Bench #9: ANGIER VFW POST 6983 ANGIER, NORTH CAROLINA
Bench #10: HARNETT COUNTY VETERANS COUNCIL
Bench #11: DISABLED AMERICAN VETERANS CHAPTER 74
Bench #12: ROBERT R. MILLER POST 9103
Bench #13: [Side] HARNETT CENTRAL JROTC / [Top] DEDICATED AND DETERMINED
Harnett County
November 11, 2004
35.420210 , -78.809860
View in Geobrowse
"Harnett County Veterans Memorial," The Historical Marker Database, HMdb.org, (accessed June 13, 2021) Link
"Harnett County Veterans Park Dedication Stone," The National War Memorial Registry, nationalwarmemorialregistry.org, (accessed April 26, 2022) Link
“Harnett County Government,” Facebook, September 1, 2017, facebook.com, (accessed February 11, 2022) Link
“Veterans Park,” Harnett County, North Carolina, harnett.org, (accessed February 11, 2022) Link
Yes
Concrete, granite, metal, tile
The Harnett County Veterans Park is located at 299 W. Cornelius Harnett Blvd. Lillington, NC 27546. The park is to the right of the Harnett County Courthouse. The courthouse address is 301 W. Cornelius Blvd., Lillington, NC 27546.
The park is in an open field to the right of the Harnett County Courthouse.
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