BV Veterans Memorial is our community’s hidden gem
By Lacey Lively, Marketing Manager
Tucked away in College Station’s Veterans Park and Athletic Complex at 3101 Harvey Road is a hidden gem – a 12-acre site dedicated to veterans from our nation’s wars. The Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial includes life-sized statues, a Wall of Honor, interpretive panels and memorial sites.
Chartered in 2000 as a non-profit corporation, the Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial is supported by generous community residents, organizations, and partners, including Brazos County and the cities of Bryan and College Station. The Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial’s all-volunteer board of directors proudly contribute time and resources to salute our veterans. Their mission is to proactively pay tribute to veterans through an educational venue where future generations can learn that freedom comes with a heavy price.
Former President George H.W. Bush helped dedicate the Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial on Nov. 10, 2002. Bush said “The Brazos Valley community can stand proud. The names that mark the memorial showcase the sons and daughters who gave dedicated service to our nation so that future generations can share the freedoms we enjoy.
“Their task was great and their sacrifice even greater, but their legacy stands firm, and their memories burn bright.”
Bush later said the Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial is of similar quality to those on the famed National Mall in Washington, D.C.
Louis L. Adam Memorial Plaza & Wall of Honor
Within the Louis L. Adam Memorial Plaza sits the 250-ton red granite Wall of Honor, which serves as the memorial’s focal point. The wall bears the etched names of more than 5,000 veterans representing all periods of U.S. history who are family and friends of Brazos Valley residents.
Notable names include 24 presidents and seven former Texas A&M University students who received the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military award. The bronze sculpture mounted at the top of the wall depicts a G.I. carrying a fellow soldier to safety. The status is the work of artist Robert Eccleston of Schuyler Falls, New York.
Do you know of a respected veteran you’d like to add to the Wall of Honor?
The veteran may be living, deceased or active, and does not have to be a Brazos Valley resident. The cost is $150 per name, and the application deadline is Aug. 15 each year. New additions are recognized at the annual Veterans Day Ceremony. Names received after Aug. 15 will be recognized the following year.
Lynn Stuart Pathway and Memorial Sites
Named after Brig. Gen. Louis Lynn Stuart (U.S. Army), the Lynn Stuart Pathway is a half-mile trail connecting the memorials. The pathway features interpretive panels with historical background for each conflict, granite markers, and steel benches adorned with donor plaques. Of the trail’s 18 memorial sites, 10 have life-sized, bronze statues designed and sculpted by Navasota’s J. Payne Lara.
Notable sites along the trail include the War on Terror Memorial that displays a steel relic from one of the World Trade Center towers and the Vietnam War Memorial that features a 15-foot-high bronze UH-1D Huey helicopter plate depicting soldiers preparing to drop into a dangerous landing zone.
Future statues are planned to commemorate the Spanish-American War, Philippine Insurrection, China Relief Expedition, Mexican Border Service, Granada/Panama/Dominican Republic, Southwest Asia (Desert Storm/Shield), and Kosovo War.
How You Can Get Involved
On Sunday, Nov. 11 – the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I – the Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial Board will dedicate a World War I statue titled Over the Top at 4 p.m. at the World War I memorial. The Veterans Day ceremony will follow at 5:30 p.m. at the Louis L. Adam Memorial Plaza. The events are free and open to the public.
The Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial board strives to preserve the history and memory of military service members while providing educational opportunities for the community to learn about our history. Your generous donation can be directed toward a specific memorial or for the memorial grounds in general.
To donate, add a name, or learn more about the Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial, go to bvvm.org or contact us at 979.696.6247 or info@bvvm.org.
About the Blogger
Lacey Lively serves as the chief information officer for the Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial Board. She has been with the City of College Station’s Public Communications Office since 2011. Lacey previously worked as an internet marketing consultant for the Bryan-College Station Eagle and as a web designer. A native of Beaumont, Lacey earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural journalism and communications from Texas A&M in 2009.
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Educational opportunities just another way we honor our veterans
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By Colin Killian, Public Communications Manager
Bryan-College Station has always prided itself on its patriotism, thanks in no small part to the role military service and sacrifice has played in Texas A&M’s rich history. Since so many of our residents have served honorably in the U.S. Armed Forces, our community reserves a special reverence for Veterans Day.
That’s why we’re especially proud to be ranked No. 4 on USAA’s 2015 list of the best places in America for veterans to get an education. Tuscaloosa, Ala., was ranked No. 1 while No. 6 Killeen was the only other Texas city to rank among the top 10.
