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Commemorative Landscapes of North Carolina
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Source:  Polk County War Memorial, Columbus. Photo by Rusty Long

  • Monument Name

    Polk County War Memorial, Columbus

  • Type

    War Memorial

  • Subjects

    World War II

    Vietnam War, 1960-1975

    Korean War, 1950-1953

  • City

    Columbus

  • County

    Polk

  • Description

    The memorial is in the shape of a large flat arch top tombstone and stands on a single base. The granite stone has smooth finished faces with rusticated edges.

    Images: The memorial on lawn of the Polk County Courthouse

  • Inscription

    Front: POLK COUNTY MEN & WOMEN WHO / LOST THEIR LIVES FIGHTING TO / PRESERVE OUR FREEDOM

    WORLD WAR II 1941-1945 / [Left Column] ARLEDGE, KEITH / ARLEDGE, OTIS / BLACKWELL, HENRY / BOBO, ALFRED / BYARS, LIONEL / CANNON, WALTER / CARSON, MARION / CHANDLY, M.C. / COCHRAN, CHARLIE E. / DIMSDALE, TED / DURHAM, GARSON / DURHAM, MORRIS / FOSTER, JAMES / GIBBS, HORACE / GOSNELL, RUFUS / HARRIS, DURAN C. / HINES, JAMES / JACKSON, ALBERT / JACKSON, HENRY / JACKSON, JAMES W. / JACKSON, RAYMOND /

    [Right Column] JERVY, ALLEN / JOLLEY, JAMES PAUL / LAVENDER, JOHN / LYNCH, BENNY / MILLS, PINCKNEY / MCGRAW, RAY / MCQUINN, HOWARD / MCKINNEY, BROADUS / MCKINNEY, EARL / PATTON, OLIVER / PORTER, RALPH / RANDOLPH WARD / RUFF, KING / SHIELDS, WILLIAM / SWAIN, RAY / TESSNEER, LEWIS, / WALKER, CHARLIE / WHITE, TORRANCE / WILLIAMS, JAMES / WILLIAMS, MARION / DENTON, JOHN B.

    KOREAN WAR 1950-1953 / [Left Column] COCHRAN, JOHN WALTER / GREEN HOMER / [Right Column] ROBBINS, ALBERT / WOMACK, BRYANTH H.

    VIETNAM WAR / [Left Column] BRADLEY, KENNETH R. / GREEN, PHILLIP W. / [Right Column] MORGAN, JAMES D.

    Rear: 1976 BY POLK COUNTY MEMORIAL POST 250 OF THE AMERICAN LEGION

  • Custodian

    Polk County

  • Dedication Date

    1976

  • Decade

    1970s

  • Geographic Coordinates

    35.251930 , -82.198720 View in Geobrowsemap pin

  • Supporting Sources

      "Preserve Our Freedom," The Historical Marker Database, HMdb.org, (accessed June 20, 2016) Link

  • Public Site

    Yes

  • Materials & Techniques

    Granite

  • Sponsors

    American Legion Post #250

  • Location

    The memorial is located on the E. Mills Street side of the Polk County Courthouse across from the intersection with Hampton Court. Several other memorials stand on or near the courthouse grounds, including Polk County WWI Doughboy, Howard Monument: Battle of Round Mountain monument, Polk County Bicentennial (Veterans) Memorial, Dr. Columbus Mills memorial and a Green Ashe tree memorial to veterans of World War Two.

  • Landscape

    The marker stands on the front lawn, right by a paved walkway.

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