Honoring Our Veterans
November 11 is Veteran’s Day, and while we do what we can to honor our veterans here at the Ferry – including a special offer that provides veterans free transportation, free coffee, and 11% discounts on retail throughout the day – there’s no truly appropriate way to express our thanks.
The day is typically honored at the Delaware Memorial Bridge Veterans Memorial Park (shown below) with services held by the Delaware Commission of Veterans Affairs.
If you’re unable to visit, or may not have had a chance to visit Veterans Memorial Park or spend time at each of the different monuments, read on and we’ll bring you along on a virtual tour of the Park.
The Delaware Memorial Bridge
Our virtual tour starts at the Delaware Memorial Bridge, because the bridge was named as a memorial to honor soldiers who gave their lives in WWll. The bridge was first authorized in 1945 and the first span opened to traffic in 1951.
Veterans Memorial Park
Veterans Memorial Park is located on the DRBA’s New Castle campus, across the highway from the DRBA complex beside the northbound lanes of I-295. The park land was set aside in 1955, before the Northbound second span was constructed. The official way to get to the park is to drive onto I-295S to Rt.9S and cross over Rt. 9 to be on Cherry Lane, with the park entrance located 200 yards down on the left. In good weather months, this is a great place to eat your lunch outside and tour the monuments.
The Gold Star Monument
Dedicated in November 2018, this is the newest monument in the park, built to honor the families who have lost loved ones. This smooth black granite commemorative monument features a cut out of a missing soldier. The stone reflects the landscape around it while the cutout depicts the emptiness felt when loved ones are lost in service to our country.
Korean Memorial
The next stop in the park is the Korean War Memorial, which was installed in 2003. Also constructed with smooth black granite, the monument is flanked by the South Korean and American flags. Known as The Forgotten War, the monument displays the insignias of the 5 branches of our armed forces. The Korean War waged from June 1950 until July 1953 and was among the most destructive conflicts of the modern era, with approximately 3 million war fatalities and a larger proportional civilian death toll than World War II or the Vietnam War.
Nearby, you’ll also see the “One Army” Soldier Statue, patterned after an original at the Army War College in Carlisle, PA. The statue honors all soldiers from DE and NJ who were killed, or were MIA in combat since the Korean War.
Vietnam Plaque
As you walk through the park, you’ll see a somber ground stone dedicated specifically to those who died in the Vietnam War.
Submariners Memorial
Though we’re now in the center of the park, a quick, but important turn to the left brings you to the Submariners Memorial. Submarines were integral to WWll war efforts, but were often overlooked in memorials. They became dubbed the “Silent Service,” and in May 2001, this detailed black marble monument was created to honor submariners.
Memorial Wall
The centerpiece of the park, the Memorial Wall was dedicated in 1956, and lists the names of approximately 15,000 military personnel from both Delaware and New Jersey who paid the ultimate price in both WWll and the Korean War. Each year when in-person events are possible, services are held at the park on both Memorial Day and Veterans Day with close to 400 people in attendance, including all elected officials in Delaware.
Purple Heart Memorial
The Purple Heart Memorial is dedicated to those who were wounded in all wars. Unlike other monuments in the park, this one is made of red stone, symbolic of the bloodshed in all wars. It was erected by the Delaware Military Order of the Purple Heart, and hopes for times of future peace over combat.
Blue Star Memorial
We end our virtual tour of Veterans Memorial Park at the Blue Star Memorial. The Blue Star Memorial is a tribute to the all the Armed Forces that have defended the U.S., and is a fitting final reminder. Whereas a Gold Star can be displayed by families who have lost loved ones in service to our country, the blue star is the symbol of a child in service during any period of war or hostilities. It was first introduced during WWl.
