AM I THE ONLY ONE. . . . who’s impressed by our local Veteran’s Memorial Park?

A TRIBUTE TO A TRIBUTE

Memorial Day approaches and I’m filled with a desire to write something in honor of our veterans. In my preparations to do so, I came across this item that I had written a few years ago…..

My sweetie had a doctor appointment near the Veteran’s Memorial Park (located on Veterans Highway in Port St. Lucie, FL.) We had about an hour to kill and decided that we would stop by the memorial on our way to that appointment. Neither of us had ever visited it and we thought this would provide a good opportunity. I swear, I have never “kilt an hour” more productively.

Now that we have, we’ve made a vow to make that short journey more often. To my way of thinking, this memorial is probably one of the more honorable things that have ever been done in the Treasure Coast area. Our little visit was definitely one of the best decisions we have made in recent memory. What an impressive memorial we have right here in our backyard. I have to say however, to be completely honest, you simply cannot do it justice in only one hour.

As you walk from the parking lot, you encounter tributes to all five branches of the military, located around a meeting area with bench seating. It’s an area where one could conceivably assume that many memorial services have transpired. There are numerous plaques, including those that commemorate the formation of all 5 branches of our military, as well as the emblem for each branch encased in concrete at each of the five corners of the seating area. This area is located directly in front of a large, lighted United States flag, which one would assume is on display 24/7/365.

Other displays include a Korean War Memorial, a memorial honoring the veterans of WW II and one honoring all combat wounded veterans.

Additionally, there is a wall, which would appear to be a replica of the Vietnam Veterans wall located in Washington DC.

We found this to be a very worthwhile memorial park, of which the City of Port St. Lucie can and should take a great deal of pride. With very little effort this little park could conceivably become one of the more sought out tourist attractions in this area.

Were I a “snowbird” coming to this area to take in a Mets ballgame, or any of the other local attractions and were I somehow to be made aware of this magnificent little park, I believe it would have a prominent place on my itinerary.

It’s still some time until this Memorial Day, you still have time to plan for a visit. If you live in South Florida, you should treat yourself to an enjoyable hour or so by making a trip to visit this park. If you do, you’ll want to thank me for the suggestion.

Gramps use’ta say
©R.L.King2012 #139