About The Memorial
The Southern Hancock Veterans Memorial began as a simple idea among members of American Legion Post 182 back in 2002: New Palestine needed a permanent place to honor the men and women who served this country.
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Finding the right home for that idea took years. After a long search for suitable ground, the Sugar Creek Parks board agreed to let the Legion build near the entrance of the new township park, and from there, the vision started to take shape.
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Groundbreaking finally came in the summer of 2015. What followed was years of volunteer labor: supplies ordered, materials donated, funds raised, bricks engraved, and thousands of hours of hands-on construction contributed by Legion Family members and the community.
The Memorial was formally dedicated on May 12, 2018, before a crowd that gathered to celebrate a project more than fifteen years in the making.
A Community Effort
None of this happened without the people who gave their time. Builder Dave Mummert and Post 182 veteran Bob Robertson led construction. Bill McCoy, a veteran and Post 182 member, hand-built physical models of the design as it evolved over the years, displaying them at Town Hall and community festivals to keep the vision alive while the Legion searched for funding and materials.
By the time of the 2018 dedication, six granite markers stood representing each branch of service, engraved memorial bricks lined the walkway, and a half-acre of donated park land had become a place for Hancock County to remember and reflect.
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The Memorial remains open to anyone who wishes to pay their respects. No connection to the area is required. If you look closely at the names engraved here, you'll find service members from across the country, because honoring service was always the point, not geography.
What the Memorial Represents
This Memorial honors every person who has served the cause of American freedom, from the onset of the American Revolution up through those serving our country today.
That history is laid into the walkway itself. Bricks flanking both sides of the path are engraved with the major military engagements the United States has been involved in since the Revolution, each listing the conflict, the date, and the number of Americans who gave their lives.
Granite monuments and benches represent every branch of the armed forces: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marines, placed by families and organizations honoring their own. As the U.S. Space Force continues to grow as the newest branch of our military, we look forward to adding its recognition here as well.
The Memorial holds space for the full, complicated story of service. Look closely and you'll find bricks honoring soldiers who fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War, a reminder that this ground is for remembering everyone from this community and beyond who wore a uniform, whichever side of history they stood on.
At the west side of the Pergola, a stage area gives the community a place to gather for performances, ceremonies, and public events, keeping the Memorial a living part of New Palestine, not just a place to visit once.
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Sugar Creek Township Park
4161 S 700 W
New Palestine, Indiana