West Chatham Veterans Memorial, Siler City
The West Chatham Veterans Memorial is formed by a line of nine granite tablestones standing on the same double base. The center stone has a flat top with a carved spread-wing eagle. The four stones to either side have slanted tops and rise in height giving the appearance of a gable topped wall. These stones list military veterans from Chatham County beginning with the Spanish American War. The center stone’s front is engraved with a large V. Inside the V is an engraved coat of arms of the five branches of the military. Above the V is the Great Seal of the United States. The back of the center stone has a POW/MIA symbol in the upper right hand corner. The main portion of the back shows a soldier with bowed head and hands on a battle cross with the United States flag waving above. Three flag poles stand behind the memorial flying the US flag, the North Carolina state flag and the POW/MIA flag. Two markers flank the memorial; one with committee members and the other with an abbreviation key. A large concrete courtyard with six stone benches surrounds the memorial along with lighting and attractive shrubbery. The memorial will hold in excess of 800 names under its present arrangement. It was designed to expand in years to come.
Images:
Center stone, front |
Center stone, rear |
Rear view of the memorial |
Memorial Committee plaque |
Abbreviation key plaque |
Front angle view
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Memorial benches
Center stone, front: WEST / CHATHAM / VETERANS / MEMORIAL / WHEN WE WERE NEEDED / WE WERE THERE
Base, front: DUTY HONOR COUNTRY
Center stone, rear: ALL GAVE SOME… / SOME GAVE ALL
Base, rear: UNCOMMON VALOR WAS A COMMON VIRTUE
Committee plaque: WEST CHATHAM VETERANS MEMORIAL / COMMITTEE / CHAIRMAN: RALPH PARKER / VICE-CHAIRMAN: JESSE ALBRIGHT / TREASURER: SAM ADAMS / ROBERT WHITE RONNIE WHITE / JACK MOODY / MONUMENT DESIGNED BY / CHATHAM MONUMENT COMPANY
Abbreviation key plaque: [Left column] WORLD WAR I WWI / KOREA ROK / CUBA / ENDURING FREEDOM AFG / WAR ON TERROR GWOT / PEACETIME PT / [Right column] WORLD WAR II WWII / VIETNAM RVN / DESERT STORM DS / IRAQI FREEDOM IRQ / PERSIAN GULF WAR PGW / [Bottom] ✯DENOTES KILLED IN ACTION
Town of Siler City: Parks and Recreation Department
May 14, 2016
35.717830 , -79.454240 View in Geobrowse
Yes
Granite, bronze, concrete
West Chatham Veterans Memorial Committee
Siler City provided a perpetual site for the monument.
The memorial is located at Bray Park on South 2nd Avenue in Siler City, NC. The memorial is to the right of the parking area.
The memorial is located in an open lawn area surrounded by mature trees in a city park.
Memorial Day services are held annually at Bray Park, Siler City, NC.