Dare County Veterans Memorial, Kill Devil Hills
Three tablestone style markers stand next to each other at the edge of a large concrete and pea gravel circle with a flag pole in the center. Along the top of the tallest center stone is incised a finely detailed American eagle that appears to be in flight. Below the eagle are three military coats of arms: Army, Coast Guard and Navy going left to right. Below these three are the Air Force and Marine Corps. Near the bottom is a quote taken from Guy Chapman’s classic World War I memoir “A Passionate Prodigality.”
The left-hand stone’s top angles up towards the center stone and features a prayer to veterans by Rita Mhley. In the upper right is a logo for the veterans memorial committee that features a large tree with the base wrapped in ribbons. The right-hand stone’s top also angles up towards the center stone and lists the wars and conflicts of America. It also has the memorial committee logo in the upper left corner.
Behind the markers are six flag poles with the five branches of service flags and the POW/MIA flag. The flag pole in the circle’s center flies the United States flag. To the west side of the circle are two benches placed to either side of a granite plaque listing the memorial committee. Flanking the memorial to the north and south across the roadway are long granite slabs leaning against earthen mounds that lists the names of Dare County veterans. Behind the earthen mound, trees have been planted along Veterans Drive in both directions as symbolic sentinels to the veterans listed on the slabs.
Down the sidewalk behind the Veterans Memorial is a granite marker to Gold Star Mother Sheila Williamson whose son was killed in 2004. The lectern shaped marker stands about two-feet tall and was in place by 2014.
Images:
Far-off view |
Side view |
Markers and flag poles |
Three markers |
Left slab |
Center slab |
Right slab |
Committee members |
Memorial committee plaque and benches |
Flag poles |
Service Member markers |
Gold Star Mother Sheila Williamson |
Rear view with Gold Star Marker |
Wright Brothers National Memorial in the distance
Center slab: “BY YOUR COURAGE IN TRIBULATION, BY / YOUR CHEERFULNESS BEFORE THE DIRTY / DEVICES OF THIS WORLD, YOU HAVE WON / THE LOVE OF THOSE WHO HAVE WATCHED / YOU. - GUY CHAPMAN / DEDICATED NOVEMBER11, 1991
Right slab: WARS AND CONFLICTS INVOLVING THE / UNITED STATES / [Left column] REVOLUTIONARY WAR / 1775-1773 / MEXICAN WAR / 1846-1848 / SPANISH AMERICAN WAR / 1989 / WORLD WAR II / 1939-1945 / VIETNAM / 1957-1975 / [Right column] WAR OF 1812 / 1812-1815 / CIVIL WAR / 1861-1865 / WORLD WAR I / 1914-1918 / KOREA / 1950-1953 / LEBANON / 1958/1982-1984 / PANAMA / 1989 / [Bottom, center] OPERATION DESERT SHIELD/DESERT STORM / 1990-1991
Left slab: TO ALL WHO STOOD TALL FOR FREEDOM / THOSE OF US / WHO’VE NEVER SERVED / CAN’T TRULY UNDERSTAND / THE SACRIFICES THAT YOU MADE / PROTECTIN LIFE AND LAND. / YOU WERE CALLED / FROM HOMES AND JOBS. / YOU NEVER TURNED AROUND. / YOU DID MORE THAN WAS ASKED OF YOU / IN AIR, ON SEA, ON GROUND. / YOU GAVE FOR US / IN FREEDOM’S NAME / ‘TILL NOW THE TIME HAS COME / FOR US TO GIVE YOU IN RETURN / A “THANK YOU!” EVERY ONE. ©1991 / - RITA MHLEY
Memorial committee plaque: DARE COUNTY’S TRIBUTE TO VETERANS COMMITTEE / [Left column] LOUISE DOLLARD / JESSE “SONNY” AMBROSE / BARRY ANDERSON / C.E. BROUGHTON / JOAN BOONE / JOHN BOONE / LURANA COWAN / RON CURTIS / JIM GRADELESS / NELL GRANT / JOHN HUGHES / PHYLLIS JOHNSON / [Right column] GWEN WHITE / SHERRY ROLLASON / LARRY NASH / CARL NUNEMAKER / GENE O’BLENESS / LT. CMD. PAUL PREUSSE / PAUL PRUITT / BOBBY ROLLASON / LARRY RENDINE / JOE SZYMANSKI / RHONDA UMPHLETT / BRENDA WARREN / RAY WARREN
List of Service Member markers, identical inscription on both: THESE TREES ARE SENTINELS PLANTED TO PROVIDE COOLING SHADE FROM THE HEAT, SHELTER FROM THE STORM, AND VISIBLE REMINDERS OF THE DEDICATED VIGILANCE OF THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE SERVED THEIR COUNTRY IN THE ARMED FORCES / THE LIVE OAK TREES LINING VETERANS DRIVE WERE PURCHASED IN HONOR OR MEMORY OF THESE VETERANS. -GWEN WHITE
Gold Star Mother marker: THIS MARKER WAS ERECTED BY / THE BLUE STAR MOTHERS OF THE OUTTER BANKS / TO HONOR GOLD STAR MOTHER / SHEILA WILLIAMSON / IN LOVING MEMORY OF HER SON / MARSHALL HUGH CADDY, SSG US ARMY / BRONZE STAR RECIPIENT NOV. 16, 2004 / DURING OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM
November 11, 1991
36.010390 , -75.665130
View in Geobrowse
Town of Kill Devil Hills. "Veterans Memorial/Info for Veterans. Dare County Veterans Advisory Council," Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, www.kdhnc.com, (accessed September 22, 2020) Link
“Dare County’s Tribute to Veterans,” The Historical Marker Database, HMdb.org, (accessed December 10, 2016) Link
“Dare County’s Tribute to Veterans,” Waymarking.com, (accessed December 15, 2016) Link
Yes
Granite, concrete
Dare County Tribute To Veterans Committee
Of note for this memorial is the dates used for several of the conflicts are atypical. It is most common to see the dates of official United States involvement. This memorial uses 1914 for World War I with official U.S involvement coming in 1917 and 1939 for World War II with 1941 as the official involvement. Perhaps this was done because Americans were fighting and dying in both cases prior to the United States declaring war. A famous example is the Eagle Squadron comprised of volunteer Americans fighter pilots who flew for the RAF during the Battle of Britain. Also unusual is the addition of 1958 for Lebanon along with the more common 1982-1984.
The memorial circle is located in the median of Town Hall Drive near the intersection with Veterans Drive in Kill Devil Hills, NC. The two flanking markers listing the names of veterans are located across the road to the north and south.
Each patriotic holiday the local Veterans of Foreign Wars group holds memorial services in honor of this country's veterans and armed services members. Memorial Day services are held by the Blue Star Mothers at the Gold Star marker. Veterans Day services are held at the Veterans Memorial.
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