Congressional Medal of Honor Memorial
Indianapolis, Indiana
Located on the north bank of the Central Canal in White River State Park in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, the memorial is a group of 27 curved glass walls, each between 7 and 10 feet tall. The walls represent 15 conflicts, dating back to the Civl War. The Memorial also has a touch-screen monitor for visitors to learn more about the Medal of Honor, the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, and each recipient including Audie Murphy. Etched into the glass walls are the names of all Medal of Honor recipients with their branch of service and the state of their heroic deeds. There are 3,410 names enshrined. The Stroll To Audie Murphy's Name Photos by Kenneth W. Leff
Memorial Salutes 'Greatest Heroes' by John Kelly of the Associated Press, May 29, 1999
The Medal of Honor Memorial contsists of 27 bluish-green, curved glass panels that rise above the canal that splits downtown Indianapolis.
"We wear these medals, not for ourselves, but for those who served with us and whose work went unseen," said "Paul Bucha, who earned the medal while serving in the Army in Vietnam. As Bucha finished, a curtain of American flags parted so hundreds of onlookers who crammed the canal's banks could see the memorial. Moments later, they crossed the canal to visit the monument and medal-bearers.
The panels bear the names of all Medal of Honor winners from 15 military conflicts dating to the Civil War, with their branch of service and the site of their heroic deeds. Every night at dusk, a sound system will play recorded stories, narrated by the servicemen who hold the star-shaped medallions. IPALCO Enterprises, Inc., a holding company for the electrical utility that serves Indianapolis, spent $2.5 million to build the memorial. It also paid to bring to Indianapolis as many of the 160 surviving Medal of Honor recipients as possible for the dedication over Memorial Day weekend. "We're just ordinary men and we were very fortunate to do deeds that were seen," said Stephen Gregg, 84, of Bayonne, N.J., who dodged gunfire and grenades to give cover to a medic who rescued seven wounded soldiers in World War II France.
Clyde Choate, 78, of Anna, Ill., brought two grandsons to see the memorial. "There's probably hundreds of thousands of members of the armed forces that did equally as much as we few have done," said Choate, an Army staff sergeant who single-handedly destroyed an enemy tank in France during World War II. "But they were never recognized for it." Visiting The Congressional Medal of Honor Memorial
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| My gratitude is extended to Kenneth Leff who responded to my request for original photos of the memorial. Kenneth's kindness has made it possible for all of us to see Audie's panel without traveling to Indianapolis. Thanks Kenneth! |
| My appreciation is extended to Sharon Lovell who made this page possible by doing the newspaper article and brochure information needed to create this page. Sharon, thank you! |
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