The Army National Guard 45th Division band played patriotic tunes while helicopters flew overhead Tuesday at a ceremony to unveil the Cleveland County Veterans Memorial at Reaves Park in Norman.
The Norman Fire Department opened the Veterans Day ceremony by ringing a bell at precisely 11 a.m.
The new memorial represents all five branches of the armed forces, the U.S. Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard, with a five-sided black granite obelisk standing in the center of the memorial. On each face of the obelisk is a bronze plaque stating the history of each branch service.
Atop the obelisk sits an 850-pound bronze sculpture of an eagle clasping a U.S. flag. The eagle was sculpted by local artist Shan Gray, whose other works include the statue of James Garner in downtown Norman and the statues of the state’s Miss Americas on Oklahoma City University’s campus.
“This memorial is for everyone,” Gray said. “Kids can come over from the park and get to see the memorial — it’s not just for veterans.”
During the service five veterans raised flags representing each of the five U.S. military branches, and a sixth flag representing prisoners of war and those missing in action was raised by Suzanne Bussey.
Bussey honored her father, who survived the Bataan Death March in 1942 in the Philippines, where thousands of U.S. and Filipino soldiers were killed. Her father, Hez Bussey, was a former Cleveland County attorney and a federal judge in Oklahoma City.
Video
Veteran's Day Ceremony
Veteran's Day Ceremony
Retired Army Ranger Charles E. Norris, a Vietnam veteran and Purple Heart recipient, brought many of those in attendance to tears when he recited a piece he had written named “The Voice of Memorial Day.” Norris stoically read his poem, but he and many others began to tear up when he spoke about one particular night in Vietnam when his friend ran a gauntlet of North Vietnamese machine gun fire to bring ammunition to Norris and his radio operator. His friend was shot and killed, but posthumously was awarded the Army Silver Star.
“I would like to take a minute more to especially remember a very dear friend who saved my life in Vietnam one rainy night in the Ia Drang Valley, and gave his life in doing so,” Norris said. “Had it not been for his actions, two of us would have died.”
Six years after the memorial was proposed, it now stands to give respect to local women and men who served in the armed forces.
“Seven years ago I had a dream, and here it is, folks,” said Don Schulenberg of the Veterans Memorial Committee.
The memorial measures 150 feet in diameter. Along the edges are black granite tablets, similar to the Vietnam Memorial in Washington D.C., and engraved with the names of Cleveland County veterans. To be recognized on the memorial, a veteran must have been born, lived or served in Cleveland County.
“So far we have about 1,000 names engraved,” said Bob Goins, Veterans Memorial Committee member.
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fustigate 3 years, 6 months ago
Yesterday, you ran a story that stated President Wilson proclaimed, in 1919, November 11th to be Veterans Day (it was actually November 12th and called Armistice Day, but I'll let that slide). The pre-headline over the picture (on the front page; not online) says "90th Veterans Day." Yesterday was the 90th anniversary to the official end of the World War I, but was only the 89th Armistice/Veterans Day.
georgec 3 years, 6 months ago
Is there any way one can check to see if a specific name is engraved on the memorial?
vctrcop@cableone.net
hollydean 3 years, 6 months ago
Awesome story...memorials for those who served in a very unpopular war is so important to their memory,the healing of their families and this country. God willing we will do much better for the Vets that come out or don't come out of these two miss managed wars. PEACE!